A Dream Unrequited
by DarkPatu
Summary: Sequel to: Morpheus, the Reaper. Reborn into the world he once rejected, Tenchi must now face the consequences of his actions while facing an unspeakable power.  Can he earn his families love and stop the coming onslaught or will all he knows be lost?
1. A New Dawn Breaking

A dream unrequited

_All characters, settings, and locations are owned by Pioneer and Funimation, not the author_

_This story is for those who provided me insight and support from "Morpheus" Your words have been nothing but inspirational to me and have been the sole fuel for this storyline.  
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><p>Blinding white light enveloped his world, and through the haze, shadowy figures formed, and words echoed in his ears as he felt something break inside of him, a tenuous, gossamer thread, snapping in an instant.<p>

"_We forgive you." _

The world began to coalesce into colors and shapes, then sound, a soft, rhythmic beeping, soothing at first, then beginning to become annoying in its repetitiveness. The only thing that could run through his mind was the thought that an afterlife should have something a little more expected as a music track, something involving harps of some kind preferably. Soon enough the sound resolved itself into the repeating tones of an EKG machine, snapping Tenchi out of his dream state.

Blinking, he willed his eyes to focus, looking around at his pristine white room, nude to the waist with wires running in and out of his body, he found himself strapped down to a medical examination bed. A crisp white sheet lay under him, and the lights overhead were almost blinding in their brightness. He blinked hard once more, giving his head a slight shake as he tried to sit up. A small hand firmly but gently pushed him down, as irresistible as a force of nature. "Don't go so quickly…you've been dead for fifteen years…" A familiar voice sounded next to his ear.

Lying slowly back down, he looked to the side and fought back tears as he saw Washu sitting at his bedside, her face somber, but dressed in her favorite nurse's uniform, her magenta hair pulled back behind a white, cross bearing cap. "…though I must say, you look pretty good for a dead man." She smiled sadly, taking his hand in hers and giving it a squeeze, tears forming in her own eyes. "Welcome back…" Holding his hand tight, the young bodied scientist leaning in, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead, a single tear fell from her eyes to land in his short cropped hair.

"Washu, I tried to find that thingy you asked for, but…" A light, somewhat airy voice called as the door opened and a tall, deeply tanned, voluptuous woman stepped in, her curly blond hair pulled back into a bountiful ponytail. "…I mean, I found this thing…is that what you were looking for?" She held a tiny puppet bearing a strong resemblance to the magenta haired scientist, then gasped, dropping it as she clasped her hands over her mouth. "T-TENCHI'S AWAKE?" Her shrill shriek almost covered the sound of tiny and intricate pieces shattering inside of the puppet as it fell to the floor.

With a groan Washu knelt and picked up the doll, dusting it off and putting it into her pocket. "Damn it Mihoshi, I was really hoping to let him rest a little while longer before…" The sound of eight feet pounding the tile floor sounded outside the medical room. "…the vultures descended…" She sighed as the door burst in and four more women pressed into the cramped room. Before he knew it, Tenchi's bed was hidden from sight by the faces he once knew and once came to love.

Leaning over the railing to his bed was one of the sweetest faces he had seen in years. Her bubblegum-pink eyes had darkened slightly to a bright mauve, and her usual pigtails had been replaced by a more adult low-tied ponytail, letting her teal hair fall in a long wave over her shoulders before pulling together. "T-Tenchi…I've…WAH!" The now more Tsunami-like Sasami Masaki Jurai found herself being shoved out of the way by her indigo haired sister, shooting the older Juraian princess a dirty look before returning her attention to the bed. Ayeka's garb was now more reminiscent of the standard Galaxy Police Uniform than her usual Juraian high fashion. "My Lord Tenchi…" She breathed, her hands clasped at her breast.

The older princess hadn't changed much, falling back on the Juraian habit of never truly showing your age. Her once elaborate hair traded out for a much more business-like bun of glossy indigo at the top of her head, her ruby eyes shining brightly as she gazed down at the prostrate man. "A-Ayeka? Sasami?" Tenchi groaned as he slowly shifted to a sitting position with the aid of Washu.

"Now you girls take it easy on him, okay? He's still not completely well, and he's been through a lot." Dr. Washu let her fingers linger on his shoulder and smiled at her patient. "I wasn't sure I'd gotten through to you before…Fifteen years we've been looking for you and now you're back with us." Tenchi smiled weakly up at his petite savior, reaching an IV-riddled arm up to clasp her hand in his.

"Thank you, for believing in me…All of you." He looked from face to face, emotion taking over as his eyes touched on his family for the first time in almost half his lifetime. Biting his lip to hold back his tears, he gave Washu's hand another squeeze as he looked over Ayeka and Sasami, the sisters as regal as ever, Noike, her short turquoise hair having grown out again, and Mihoshi, chewing on a handkerchief as tears streamed down her face. He paused, eyes flicking back and forth. "W-where's Ryoko?" He asked, unable to keep the slight panic out of his voice.

"…I'm here." Her voice sounded out, muted, but tinkling in his ears like the most precious of bells. The women parted to reveal the cyan haired pirate leaning against a wall, arms crossed in front of her as she pointedly looked away from the bed, dressed in a white and red gown tied back with a black sash. She felt his eyes on her and looked briefly at him in the bed, then quickly away, her lower lip trembling for just a second before she controlled herself. "Welcome home…" Her words were curt and sharp as she suddenly turned for the door, walking back out into the hallway.

A tense silence fell over the room as the door swung freely back and forth from Ryoko's passing. With a weak smile, Washu patted Tenchi on the shoulder. "Give her some time…She'll come around." He nodded, smiling back at her, but Ryoko's reaction made his heart feel as though it was full of lead bearings. Clapping her hands to get everyone's attention, Dr. Washu stood up and grinned widely to the crowd of women. "Alright everyone, out we get." She waved her hands at the group, shooing them from the room. "Tenchi needs his rest and he won't get it with you harpies crowding him…"

"H-H-HARPIES?" Ayeka's voice sounded out as she was pushed from the room by her younger sister. "Likely she just wants to be here with him by herse…mmmffppt-mmm-mm-mmmfft-MMEMM-HRMM!" Her protests were drowned out as a very obviously embarrassed Sasami muffled her with a free hand.

Chuckling softly Tenchi lay back, letting out a groan as his aching body settled into the bed. _Fifteen years…_ Things seemed to have hardly changed at all…_Except…They have, haven't they? _He knew in his gut that he would have to atone to each of them for his actions and that despite the mostly warm welcome it would not be an easy thing. He sighed, shaking his head and closing his eyes, trying not to focus too hard on Ryoko's snappish welcome. _I hurt her worst of all…_

'_Yes…you did…' _Tenchi's eyes snapped open and he shot up in bed, immediately regretting doing so as a fresh wave of dull ache echoed through his body. "H-how…?"

"…Did I hear your thoughts?" Dr. Washu stood by, adjusting the settings on one of the machines attached to his body. "When you died, your body still held one of the gemstones inside of it…and still does." She pointed to the small bulge in the skin at his wrist. "Those gemstones are part of me, or were, at least. So that means I'm a part of you." She looked over at him and smiled. "Don't worry, I won't let the others know, and I'm the only one who can connect with you." She grinned lecherously at him. "Though, I'll do my best not to peek inside your head during your…private moments. I can't promise though, what with me being _inside_ of you and all..."

Despite himself Tenchi felt his face grow warm as he blushed furiously, much to Dr. Washu's amusement. "It's good to have you back, Tenchi. We've all missed you terribly." She looked at the door, her smile fading slightly. "Even if it's hard for us to say it…" She looked back at him and pushed a button on the machine, producing a soft hissing noise. "Now, you sleep, you need to recover completely before I can discharge you." Even as she spoke Tenchi felt the world begin to slip away as a numb heat spread through his body. "Sleep well…" The last thing he felt before slipping into dark oblivion was her lips on his forehead.

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><p>Darkness. Everywhere darkness. Then, a light. Two. Seven. The Galaxy spread out before Tenchi like flowing water, a sea of stars and planets pouring out from him. Nebulae swirled past his eyes and entire solar systems were born and died as he watched the celestial dance, the movements of eons playing out in a matter of moments. Black holes devoured nearby stars, planets grew and produced life, stars and suns flared, growing and shrinking before dying out in a final blaze of glory. Entranced, he let himself swim through the dark ether, marveling at the perfect, chaotic beauty of it all.<p>

On a whim, he reached out, and scooped up a brightly shining blue giant star, holding it in his hand. Despite its heat, the star settled like a feather into his palm, where he rolled it slowly over his skin, marveling at the pure energy within it. Looking around him he spotted other beautiful heavenly bodies and reached to them, pulling them in from all directions. White novas, red dwarfs, the dying embers of an ancient sun, quasars from beyond the farthest moons. The light of the universe swirled into his hands and he laughed to see them swell and bust as they grew too close to one another, devouring or being devoured.

Slowly the light of these stars and brilliant bodies grew dimmer, pulling away from their home planets, leaving them cold as Tenchi gathered their glory, forcing them together and marveling at how glorious his creation was. As the last of the light drained into his hands, he closed his fingers around the collection, blocking out their shining essence. Grinning happily he leaned in close, cracking his fingers slightly to gaze lovingly in at his creation, his dark brown eyes wide and wild as he felt the universe grow colder.

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><p>Opening his eyes blearily, Tenchi sat up, rolling his head to loosen his shoulders some. <em>Where…Oh, Washu's medical bay…<em> He started to stretch, and winced as he felt the IV's tug at his arms. Looking around, knowing he probably shouldn't, but feeling 100% better, he gently pulled the surprisingly long needles out of his arms, laying them gently on the bed. He checked the connection on his wireless EKG device and found it securely attached to his temple. _Well, that's not going anywhere at least…_

A little unsteadily, Tenchi moved to the edge of his bed and stood up, wobbling a little before regaining his balance. He made a face as he realized that Washu had stripped him back down to his boxers after everyone left. He noted a pile of clothing on the white dresser nearby and moved to pick them up, but stopped as he passed by the full-length mirror set against the wall. He looked himself over, barely recognizing the man reflected therein. He had aged, yes, but aged quite a bit better than he remembered himself. His muscles had developed more on his chest and arms, making his torso quite a bit thicker than he remembered and his hair was still full and black. His face was un-lined, but more adult and masculine, his jaw-line deepened and chin stronger. A light shadowing of stubble covered his cheeks and chin, making him smirk as he rubbed his slightly scratchy face. _Guess I'll still have to shave…_

After spending a few more moments admiring his physique, Tenchi turned to the clothes, shaking them out and looking at them. The bundle opened into a pair of dark slacks, a brown tunic and belt, a pair of slippers falling with a soft clatter to the floor. All in all, the outfit was quite similar to his usual working outfit back on the farm, but somehow more streamlined, a little more casual. _Kind of big though… _ He noted the size of the tunic, reaching from his shoulders nearly down to his knees.

Shrugging, he pulled on the slacks and fastened them, slipping the shirt over his head. As he fastened the belt around his waist he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and sighed. "I look like a kid playing dress-up in his dad's clothes…I…WAH!" As he watched, the clothes began to tighten, emitting a slight whirring sound as they shrunk, fitting snugly to his body, tight enough to leave nearly nothing to the imagination. "WHAT THE…AUGH!"

The door to his room slammed open as Dr. Washu burst in. "TENCHI? WHAT'S THE MATT…oh…" A wide Cheshire grin spread across her face as she watched him half stumble, half prance around the room, trying to pull the skin-tight clothes away from his body. "Hello!" She chirped as she stood in the doorway, eying him as he fumed, tugging at his shirt.

"WASHU! This is not funny! Help!"

"Stand still and it'll stop," she said with a dismissive wave.

"What?"

She sighed, shaking her head. "It's trying to find the best fit for you. If you keep moving, it can't properly calibrate, so it continues to try to fit you. So stand STILL."

Grumbling some, he stood still, hands at his sides. The whirring reached a crescendo, then stopped, a soft ping sounding from somewhere inside the fabric as it suddenly became loose, falling away from his body. Tenchi let out a breath, and patted himself, finding that the clothes _did_ fit perfectly. He shot an awkward smile at Washu, who simply shook her head. "Come on, Tenchi…I'm sure the girls want another shot at you, and then after breakfast I need to run some tests on you to make sure you're really ready for all of this."

"Ready for all of what?" He asked, pushing into the slippers, letting out another sigh as they too whirred and pinged, snugging against his feet.

She smiled at him, opening the door into the hallway. "Things have changed quite a bit in the past fifteen years."

As Tenchi stepped out into the well-lit corridor, he started to scoff but the sound died in his throat. Outside the hallway window he saw a metropolis spread out before him, buildings reaching into the clouds, structures of some strange, organic-looking metal climbing up at odd angles. With a soft whirring sound a car shot past the window, supported on a glimmering panel of light. In the distance, he saw a Galaxy Police shuttle landing down on a blinking beacon. He felt a tug at his arm and swallowed hard, turning to look at Washu. "Come on, Tenchi…I'll explain everything."


	2. Time to Wake Up

A Dream Unrequited

_All characters, settings, and locations are owned by Pioneer and Funimation, not the author_

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><p>Washu had abandoned her nurse's outfit and settled on a more casual outfit similar to Tenchi's tunic and slacks. He noted thather outfit was a bit more embellished, her clothing a pine green and earthen tone with gold fetching along the collar and cuffs. He looked away as he realized how hard he was staring at her, still trying to convince himself this wasn't all some dream.<p>

As she led the way down the white-paneled hallway, Tenchi marveled at the amazing view of the futuristic city below from the arched windows set into the outside wall. He reached out his hand and touched the wall, feeling the smooth, strangely soft surface, his mind racing as he tried to take the changes he had seen in. "Washu, what…?"

"Wait for it, like I said, I'll explain everything later! You must be hungry since you haven't eaten anything in two weeks, and Sasami gets upset if we're late for breakfast."

Tenchi stopped, tilting his head to the side some. "Two weeks, but I just woke up yesterday. And I was in that weird dream city before."

Washu sighed and stopped walking, turning to look at him. "Sure, it's only been a little while for you, but who was it that had to pinpoint the location of your return by using trans-axial quark strings AND figure out the exact moment of your regeneration with flux-resonance capacitors?" She smirked as Tenchi at least had the decency to look embarrassed.

"Beyond that, your body had to rebuild itself, not an easy matter." She held up pinched fingers, squinting as she looked between them. "When I found your biomass, you were no bigger than this. Amazing, huh?" She stood, feet planted apart and hands at her hips. "But I, with my massive scientific intellect helped you recover from a bundle of cellular tissue to the man you are today in but a mere fourteen days!" She let out a maniacal laugh, relishing in her own glory.

Letting out a derisive chuckle, Tenchi scratched the back of his head. "I didn't realize it was such a trouble…" He smiled at her and bowed deeply at the waist. "Thank you, for all you have done for me, Washu." He stood and looked into her eyes, his smile warm.

"Tenchi..." Washu's eyes shone brightly as she lifted her hand to her mouth, her cheeks flushed as she bit her finger gently, and then grinned devilishly. "You STILL have to call me Washu-Chan!" She turned and dusted off her tunic, walking towards the end of the hallways as he stood transfixed.

He shook his head, letting out a sigh. "You're very light-hearted about this, you know? I mean, fifteen years looking for me and it's like I just saw you yesterday." He jogged slightly to catch up, pacing the diminutive scientist.

"How would you rather I act, Tenchi?" She looked up at him as they walked. "Still raging and fuming like I was on that rooftop? Do you want me to hate you for how you have hurt us and twisted our world?" She looked ahead again, her face serious. "I can, if you would like, but I'd rather enjoy the fruits of a dozen years work trying to get you back to us." She smiled up at him, laying a hand on his forearm. "We missed you, Tenchi. I missed you. We'll have time to work out the wrongs that have been done…to both of us…later. For now, let's just enjoy being a family again."

Tenchi smiled sadly, his eyes pricking softly. "I don't deserve a family as good as this one, I've been nothing but awful."

"Let us decide that." Washu smiled as they reached the end of the hallway. Before them stood another white wall, paneled in the same strange plastic-like substance.

"So…now what?" Tenchi asked, looking for a door or a switch or something.

"Boop." Washu reached over and touched a spot on the far wall, which lit up briefly and emitted a soft chime. As they watched, the wall faded from view, becoming translucent. Beyond was a fairly large living space, furnished with couches and a handful of chairs. Behind the couch was a small dining area, with a short table surrounded by cushions. A staircase climbed up one wall, and a corridor led off to one side of the room. The entire place seemed to be made of the same plastic-metal.

Washu walked through the gauzy wall with a faint crackling sound, waving for Tenchi to follow. Making a face, he pushed towards the wall, one eye closed as he sought to force his way through it. To his surprise the misty barrier held no more resistance than cobwebs, and he passed through with barely any effort.

Pausing to wipe away the feeling of webs on his skin, he took a moment to look around the room. "Hey…this looks a lot like my old house." He smiled, looking at Washu.

"Yeah, we modeled it after the old Masaki residence. It felt the most like home for any of us, so we stuck with what we knew."

The living area was thick with the smell of cooking and the sound of clattering dishes came from a doorway set against the far wall. A doorway opened at the edges of the room, admitting Mihoshi and Noike, the two pouring over a hand-held data pad.

"…Look, all I'm saying is that if you divert spending from the research and development division, we won't have enough to complete our research this year! We're already behind schedule on the latest upgrade to the fusion-core plating for the fighter ships!" Noike admonished her ex-partner, poking at the tablet, producing a number of beeps as she moved columns of numbers around.

"Hmmm, well, if you say so. I suppose the armory can do with the supplies it has for this quarter, we'll just outfit our new officers with last year's models. The field tech operatives can upgrade them, right?" She poked the tablet a few times, moving the colored columns into place and letting out a sigh, waving a hand over the shadowy unit, causing it to go blank.

She walked daintily around the couch and sat down, yawning and leaning her head back. "Working this early always makes me feel so sleepy…AUGH!" She let out a yelp as Noike gave her curly ponytail a sharp tug.

"Dunderhead…you only got up an hour ago! Don't go dozing off now." She sighed, looking up. "Oh, Washu…TENCHI!" She gasped, hand to her breast. "Oh, wow, you're up! How are you feeling?" She walked over to him, embracing him in a gentle hug. Tenchi chuckled softly and returned the embrace, smiling.

"I'm better, lots better, thank you." He stepped back, looking her over. "You look great, how have you be-e-n…That's a dumb question, isn't it?" He scratched the back of his head. "God, fifteen years and I ask how you've been." He knocked his knuckles against his forehead, making a face.

"Oh, no…it's fine." Noike smiled, her cheeks flushed slightly. "I mean, it has been a while, but I'm doing well." She looked over her shoulder at Mihoshi, hissing between her teeth. "Hey, Tenchi's up and about!"

The blond haired woman was rubbing her scalp where Noike had pulled, but stood, smiling at Tenchi. "Oh! Good morning, Tenchi! How did you sleep?"

He nodded to her, chuckling softly. "Well, to be honest, like the dead." He laughed a bit awkwardly as Noike and Washu groaned, leaving Mihoshi smiling in her ignorance.

"I'm so glad you're back home, you had us all very worried for a while there…and, well, it's just so good you're back." She stumbled over her words, pulling at the hem of her blouse as she looked down, her cheeks flushed. "Gah!" She giggled, covering her cheeks and turning away.

The door at the rear of the room slid open and Sasami came out, her turquoise hair pulled back into a high ponytail, wearing an apron over a very official looking uniform, holding a pair of steaming trays. "Oh! Tenchi!" She nodded at him, turning to set the plates down on the table. "I thought I heard your voice. Welcome back." She flashed him a soft smile before turning back and going into the kitchen for more plates.

"Here, let me help you." He started, walking towards the kitchen.

"I've got it, thanks all the same." She replied, not curt, but certainly not as warm as he had hoped.

"Oh…okay." His shoulders drooped despite himself and he turned to Washu, who only shrugged, shaking her head.

"Please, sit down. Breakfast will be out in just a moment." Sasami called from inside the kitchen. "Make yourself at home." Her tone was warm, but Tenchi thought he could detect a hint of sadness.

Settling down at the small table, he watched as Sasami hustled out another four plates piled with food and a large steamer basket full of rice. When she caught his eye she smiled before returning to her work. After the table was set, she looked around, watching Noike, Mihoshi and Washu take their seats, Washu settling in next to Tenchi. With a sigh she pressed a portion of the wall near the kitchen door, making it light up.

"Ryoko, Ayeka, breakfast is ready, get it while it's hot." The panel crackled for a moment before pinging and shutting off, Sasami settling down at the table and pouring tea for each setting.

A moment later Ayeka entered the room, her hair pulled back into a professional bun, wearing a form-fitting uniform and high boots, brushing off her shoulders and moving towards the table. "Sasami, remember we have… Tenchi?" She smiled broadly as she saw the man sitting at the table. "What a pleasant surprise, I didn't think you would be up and about so soon."

She sat down, bowing her head to him. "It is so very good to have you back with us Lord Tenchi…Oh…" She flushed, smiling softly. "I don't think that is quite appropriate anymore, is it, Washu?"

"Hrmm?" She set down her tea, swallowing. "I'm not sure, I've yet to run any serious tests, what with his recovery and all, and I didn't want to add any additional stress to his body." She smirked at the princess, taking another slow sip of her tea. "However, now that's he's recovered I'll have to run a few rigorous, _highly invasive _tests on his body…"

The indigo haired princess choked on her own tea, coughing and flushing hotly. "M-Miss Washu, if you don't mind, we _are_ eating breakfast." She stuck her nose in the air as she served herself some of the grilled fish Sasami had plated up. "Honestly, you can be so uncouth sometimes."

The petite scientist snickered, grinning madly, thoroughly enjoying having a way to tease the princess, even at Tenchi's expense. He chuckled, shaking his head, and then tilted his head, looking at Sasami and Ayeka. "Um, Sasami..."

The younger princess looked up, daintily wiping her mouth with a napkin. "Yes? Tenchi?"

"Your clothes…what are they?" He chuckled some. "Last I remember you both wore nothing but the finest in clothes in Jurai."

Sasami's face fell somewhat, looking back at him with a serious face. "Well, fifteen years is a long time. And as I'm sure you've seen, things have changed a lot here on Earth. "

Ayeka chimed in, a hand to her chest. "Yes, we've become some of the most important people on the planet. I for example am the High Executor of Colonized Planet 0315, otherwise known as Earth."

Tenchi gawped, his chopsticks slack as he reached for the plate of squash. "Wow…High Executor? What does that mean?" His mind raced with images of Ayeka sitting atop a throne, damning criminals to their punishments, deciding whether they be corporal, or mortal.

"…It means that she's in charge of all incoming and outgoing trade routes and immigrants. More or less a landlord and shopkeeper rolled into one. " Sasami calmly replied as she scooped a spoonful of seared tofu onto her plate, ignoring the spiteful look her sister was giving her. "Also she reports directly to the Marshall of Planetary Sector 33259, what you would call the solar system."

"Oh." Tenchi nodded, barely comprehending. "So, who is that?"

As one, the four women around the table pointed as Sasami who sat idly by, slowly chewing her breakfast. Tenchi almost dropped his cup of tea. "Wait, Marshall? Like a sheriff?" He chuckled softly as he looked at the lovely young woman. "So you catch bad-guys?"

She nodded, taking a sip of tea.

"What do you do if they try to fight back?" He asked, almost not wanting to hear the answer.

Sasami coughed into her fist, gently setting down her cup before standing up, feet spread apart, fist in the air. "I punish them with my magical wand and make them regret their evil ways! "

Tenchi smirked, leaning back a bit from her outburst. "R-really?"

She looked down at him, quirking an eyebrow. "No. I shoot them." She calmly replied, sitting back down as Tenchi almost fell over.

"S-shoot them? Like with a gun?" He exclaimed, hands on the table, leaning towards her.

"Yes…" She reached behind her back, pulling out a large, elaborate pistol and flicking a switch and aiming it at Tenchi's forehead, the handgun emitting a high-pitched whirring sound as a diode on the side began to light up. "…With a gun." She flipped the switch again, causing the sound to wind down again as she holstered the weapon, resuming her breakfast.

With a shuddering sigh Tenchi settled back down, swallowing hard and pushing his plate away.

"Oh, not hungry?" Sasami asked, to which he shook his head. She shrugged, reaching over and snatching his grilled fish deftly.

Another door opened at the top of the stair and Ryoko walked through, dressed in what appeared to be academy robes. She walked down the stair, inhaling loudly. "Man, Sasami…it sure smells goo…" She stopped as she spotted Tenchi, her bright face shutting down like a light. She strode into the living area, plucking a rice ball and a grilled fish from the plates, tossing back a cup of warm tea. "I've got to get to the lab…I'll see you all later." She waved behind her as she walked towards the main door.

'_T-Tenchi…you bast…'_

With a gasp Tenchi sat up straight, looking over his shoulder as Ryoko left the room, the main door closing behind her. He looked over at Washu, but saw she hadn't heard anything. _But…it was her voice…_ He sipped his tea thoughtfully as he stared off into blank space in the room.

"Ahem." Washu's little cough pulled him back to reality. "If you're done, Tenchi, I'd like to get started on those tests?" She stood, offering him her hand.

"Oh, right." He nodded, taking her hand in his and standing up. "Sasami?" The somewhat frightening princess looked up at him. "Thank you for breakfast, it was delicious."

She smiled sweetly at him nodding to him. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. We'll have to sit down and have a talk someday soon. We have quite a bit to discuss." She looked up at him then, smiling, but with cold eyes.

Smiling weakly, feeling his knees give a little bit, Tenchi let Washu lead him towards the staircase, tapping a sequence on the wall and pushing open the small door that appeared in its side. As he walked through, he heard the familiar clanking of her crab-bell, and chuckled, remembering how often he dreaded entering here, just in case she wanted him for her experiments.

As the door closed behind them, Tenchi found himself engulfed in darkness, unable to see his hand in front of his own face.

"I want to show you something, Tenchi." Washu's voice had changed subtly, somehow deeper, smokier. "I think you'll enjoy it _very much…_" Swallowing hard, Tenchi groped forward, trying to find a wall or a light switch or something. His hand contacted with something warm and soft, and as he gave it an experimental squeeze he heard Washu let out a soft moan and immediately regretted his decision.

Suddenly brilliant light filled the room, blinding him for a moment, making him cover his eyes with his arms. As his eyes adjusted and sight returned, his vision grew blurry, and he choked back a sob. "My…my home…"

He found himself on the wooden walkway leading to the old Masaki residence. The lake reflected sunlight and shimmered in the breeze, the trees on the mountainside rustled, singing the song of nature. Stepping forward, he felt tears fall as he fell to his knees, looking over at Washu, now in her adult form. "You did this?"

She nodded, smiling softly. "I secreted your family's land away when the colonization began. I never knew why, I just always felt like this was where I belonged. I still have my lab here, and…" She sighed, crossing her arms. "I guess there are just too many good memories here to just let go of it."

"Colonization?" Tenchi asked, looking up at her.

"Ah, that's right." She reached down, taking his arm. "Come on, I'll tell you all about it while I do some quick tests." She smiled, leading him down to the house.

Inside, everything was as he remembered, from the patched staircase to the sliding doors to the smooth-worn boards where Ryoko used to sit and nap. He felt a fresh prickling in his eyes as he looked around, giving Washu's hand a squeeze. "Thank you…" He whispered.

"So, I guess I should start at the beginning, hmm?" She led him into her lab and settled him into a chair and motioning for him to extend his arm. "While we all lived here space-ships were coming and going all the time, right?" He nodded, doing as she asked, letting her roll his sleeve up and strap him down. "Well, someone was bound to notice sometime or another, right?" She said sarcastically, shaking her head and prepping a syringe. "When the royal emperor of Jurai visits every couple months or so, and a great big spiky black space-ship shoots off whenever there's danger, someone is going to see something. Or get a video. Which they did." She said this almost bitterly, jamming the needle into his arm, making Tenchi wince.

"So, this video gets out. It's on the internet. Before we know what's going on there's men in black suits at our door and it's too late." She grumbled, pulling on the plunger, drawing blood from his arm. "So, we almost had them convinced that it was all a hoax when who comes plunging out of the sky?"

"Mihoshi." They both spoke, shaking their heads.

"So." She continued, holding the needle in place and unscrewing the syringe, attaching a fresh tube and drawing out more blood. "The GXP makes an official visit to Earth, claiming that since they initiated first contact with the general populace, they were responsible for the planet from that point on. Then Jurai comes and announces their ancient claim on Earth as C. P. 0315, because damned if they won't put their thumb in everything they can."

She sighed, shaking her head as she plucked the scarlet-filled tube from the syringe. "Then the academy comes and pinches as many bright thinkers as they can, myself and Ryoko included."

"R-Ryoko?" Tenchi asked, a little shocked.

"Yeah, surprise, surprise, she takes after her ol' mom after all." Washu grinned, shaking her head. "She worked her ass off and graduated Magna Cum Laude, top of her class." Her eyes shone with pride for a moment. "She's been my assistant for seven years now." She nodded at the restrained man. "It was her breakthrough with quantum-psychosis translocation that even let me find you, you know."

"Wow…" Tenchi breathed his eyes wide. "So…she helped you find me?"

Washu scoffed. "When she found out that I was trying to I couldn't keep her away. She badgered me for a full month to let her help me on this." She sighed, smiling softly. "So, with so much happening at once, and to be honest, we were somewhat tight on money at the time, I sold some of my inventions and research to some big companies for a tidy little sum."

She chuckled, shaking her head. "The problem is, trying to find a God-child who doesn't want to be found is expensive work." She shot him a look as she switched another vial out on his needle. "I had to keep selling and selling my technology. Dimensional gateways, poly-steel, self-replicating protein synthesis, I sold damn near everything I patented to fund our research."

"So that's why…" Tenchi began.

Washu nodded, pulling the needle from his arm and pushing gauze against the wound. "That's part of the reason why everything seems so advanced. The other half of it is now that Earth is classified as a transient world and open for interstellar immigrants, they aren't too keen on leaving the comforts of home behind." She moved swiftly, attaching sensors to his body as she placed the vials of blood in a centrifuge, her fingers lying as she entered commands into a terminal nearby.

"Now, let's see…" She inputted several additional commands on her flashing consoles, shadow windows appearing around her as she added additional data to the files already open. "Heart-rate good, Alpha, Beta, Theta and Delta brain patterns are within normal parameters, your oxygen to hemoglobin count is good and your antibodies are reacting within a nominal state."

Tenchi found it was best to just sit still and be quiet when Washu got like this. For starters, it saved him from a lengthy lecture, and it also helped him maintain his sanity when dealing with concepts far beyond his ken.

With a smirk, Washu's clothes shifted from her tunic and slacks into a form-fitting nurse's outfit. "So…let's check your physique…" She grinned, advancing on him.

"I…I wouldn't do that if I were you…" Tenchi warned, letting out a shuddering sigh. "I'm not the boy I used to be, and I don't want to have this get out of control…"

Washu clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "Such the gentleman. Don't worry, I won't try to get a sperm sample from you." She licked her lips, moving in close to the restrained man, pressing her voluptuous adult form against him. "This time." She breathed, feeling him tense and hearing the soft groan he let out as she bit her lip, blushing softly.

Taking his arm, she began palpitating the bulge below his wrist, pulling up a shadow console to project imaging data from her scans on the swelling. "Hmm…this is odd…it doesn't seem as though the gemstone is an implant." She tilted her head, her face pinched in concentration. "It's almost as though it has grown as part of you…"

She turned the monitor to show him the sub-dermal scan of his gem, appearing surrounded by fleshy tissue, melding together with a central column of flesh and tied directly to his body. "So, what does it mean, Washu?"

"It means, Tenchi," She faced him, tilting her head. "That your gem is not mine. It has been created by your body alone. However, I can still feel you, still touch your thoughts when you let me in."

'_Like now.' _Her voice echoed inside of his head, making him wince. "I guess I'll have to get used to that…"

"Or develop better defenses." Washu chimed, tapping away at her computer. "Nevertheless, this gemstone, while of the same composition as the ones I created, has been grown and developed completely by you." A beep sounded as the centrifuge stopped, it's cycle completed. She entered a few more commands on her shadowy console, and let out a soft gasp, sitting back.

"What is it?" Tenchi asked, looking over at her.

"Tenchi…" She said, her voice soft. "You won't believe this. You're still Juraian."


	3. Lucid Dreaming

A Dream Unrequited

_All characters, settings, and locations are owned by Pioneer and Funimation, not the author_

_To all readers: Please review! It's for you that I make these stories, and with your help and support they'll only get better!  
><em>

* * *

><p>"H-how can that be?" Tenchi asked with a slight chuckle. "I wiped out my Juraian blood when I was a God, didn't I?"<p>

Washu nodded. "That's what we thought. Apparently, when you came back to us, you returned exactly as you remembered. Half-Juraian, your blood identical to that of the royal family…"

She stopped, hitting a few keys on her shadowy keyboard. "Here…this was a bit of a mystery to me as well." She made a gesture, causing her monitor to split down the middle and form an identical screen.

"Here is a graphical chart of the energy from a Choushin Event. " The screen showed a spiked line, peaking at an odd alpha-numeric- to-the-150,000th number. She tapped a few more keys, the image changing to show an overlay of another graph. "And here…here is a reading from when we tracked your rebirth…"

She turned the screen to Tenchi, showing him the readings the Hakubi women had taken during their retrieval of his biomass. The spiked line was still present, but completely overshadowed by another graph, this one plateauing across the top of the screen, the line easily triple the other.

"What does this mean Washu?" Tenchi scratched his head, tracing the line with a finger.

"Well, like I said, the first graph shows a reading from an event propagated by Lady Tokimi, a small sub-space anomaly she brewed up. Not the most powerful event, but a decent display of energy. The other graph shows the output of energy from when you were reborn in this universe. The difference is astronomical." She tapped her chin, brow furrowed. "I'd been wondering about it myself, but with your recovery I hadn't really had too much time to look into it. It seems that with your power and the Godspark that was grown inside of you, you were able to do what we could not."

She turned to look at Tenchi, shaking her head. "If my data is correct, it wasn't an act of the Choushin that resurrected you. You caused your own rebirth."

* * *

><p>Ryoko sat at her desk, a shadow terminal hovering before her, the lines of data untouched and cursor blinking over the next row. She let out a sigh, leaning her head back and rubbing her eyes. Seven years she had worked with her mother, and four before that she spent grinding through the most gruelingly difficult school in the known universe all for one purpose. <em>Tenchi…<em> She shivered as she thought his name, wrapping her arms around herself.

She straightened up, gesturing for the terminal to shut down, causing it to fade away. Fifteen years he'd been gone from their life, and now he was back. She knew what she was doing when she started working with Washu, but now, she didn't know if it was what she wanted. _He's back…and I helped make it happen._

She sighed, standing up and beginning to wander around her office, smoothing her hair back with both hands. When they located the snippets of his psyche swirling through sub-dimensional space and she heard his voice for the first time in a decade she remembered falling to her knees, distraught and overjoyed at the same instant. Here was the man who had her heart in his hand and squeezed.

Even when Washu pierced into his own personal prison, she volunteered to be the first one to infiltrate his mind. The sensation of being part of that world he had made for himself was overwhelming. From the moment she entered his dream state she felt how he felt, and was crushed under the weight of his guilt and his self-hatred.

His grey despair tainted the world he had created, a world she wanted to free him from. Even as she waited for him in the rail station, she begged in her mind, pleading forhim to step out onto the tracks. If not to bring him back to them, then to save them both from his pain.

She let out a deep breath, hugging her arms as she shook her head. _Not back to them…back to me. _She felt her eyes sting as her vision blurred, both with longing and fury. She had grown to hate herself for loving him so, and even still she felt her heart pound when she thought of him. She had opened herself to him completely and as such had no defense when it became apparent that he ultimately blamed her for everything that had happened to him.

She let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Heh…I am SO not getting any work done today." Rolling her eyes, she shrugged on her coat and left the lab, touching a series of buttons on the wall to shut down the lights and lock the exits. Today was a hot sake day, no two ways about it…

* * *

><p>"So, wait, when I killed myself in my dream world…you didn't resurrect me?" Tenchi asked, rolling his sleeve back down over the dressing at the hollow of his elbow.<p>

"No, I knew that Tokimi had set up the universe to accept your form when you returned, but Tsunami and I were the ones who were going to rebuild you." Washu shook her head, typing away at her keyboard. "Only the thing is, we never had the chance. As soon as your psyche spiked all of our sensors went wild and we detected your biomass contained in its own little pocket of atmosphere out in sector ΘΘ-74, now a dead-zone."

She pulled up a view of the section of space, showing him an image of an empty sphere of blackness amidst a stream of light, the spot where they found him. "The thing is, as you can see, you popped up right in the middle of a star-field." She traced around the edge of the dark sphere. "All through here were stars, millions of nuclear fusion reactors floating in space."

She shrugged some, shaking her head. "I'm not sure, but I think when you resurrected yourself you used the power of those stars as a buffer for your entrance into this dimension." She turned back to her terminal and tapped a few buttons, making a cap flip up onto Tenchi's head, the lights around it starting to blink.

"Oh, I remember this thing." He chuckled, looking up at the light bulbs as they blinked in unison.

"Nope, I upgraded it." She grinned, pushing a button. With a gasp, Tenchi felt as though a bolt of lightning had just ripped through his body, his vision shifting into sharp-edged hues. He gritted his teeth, feeling energy pulse through him, the cap on his head seeming to be trying to drill into his very core. As he gripped the arms of his seat he let out a cry, feeling his body reach its breaking point, stressed beyond the limit of return.

In a flash, it was over, and as if it had never happened. Blinking, he looked over at Washu, who was humming happily as she scrolled through the data. "W-what was that?"

"A spectrofisiocarpemetrometal scan." She looked knowingly over at him, quirking an eyebrow at his look of utter confusion. "Your soul, Tenchi."

He flushed, and then sputtered. "H-hey, that's sort of private, isn't it? I mean, you can't just go poking around inside of me…I mean, uh…" The mad scientist let out a bark of laughter as he talked himself into a corner.

"Trust me, no harm has been done. And if it makes you feel any better it's nothing to do with your _spiritual_ soul, just your physical one."

"My…physical soul?"

"Of course, where do you think your powers come from? Or Ayeka's and Ryoko's for that matter?" She turned the screen to face him, gesturing to a column of data. "This is a full analytical spectrum of your physiological data concerning your energy." She pulled up a second screen. "You see, here is your old scan. This one took me almost a month to do last time, instead of just a few seconds for this new one."

"I think I would have preferred the old way…" He grumbled then pulled back from Washu's intense stare. "B-but this is much faster." He backpedaled.

"Humph. As I was saying, if you see here we have a clear reading of your Juraian energy, such as would be used to create Ayeka's force fields or your light-hawk wings." The chart showed a red column full of arcane numbers. "Now here is your new reading and as you can see the numbers are much higher, but the actual quantity of energy I've detected is far less."

"On the other hand, your massu-based energy has increased exponentially, a fairly reasonable assumption since you've merged with one of the gemstones. " She noted the difference in the blue column of data, showing a huge spike from the previous readings. "So your power is very similar to that of Ryoko's now, very interesting…"

Tenchi tilted his head, thoroughly confused. "So, let me get this right. I've got powers like Ryoko now? I thought that when I was reborn I wouldn't have all these weird special abilities?"

Washu shook her head. "Just because that's what Z said doesn't mean it was true. Remember, we groomed you to become something greater than the Choushin, and beyond that when you chose to return to us you had implanted yourself with one of Ryoko's gemstones."

She wagged a finger at him. "You didn't need to do that, you know. She actually sacrificed one of her gems to get that to you." She smiled at him as she tapped away at the keyboard. "You should remember to thank her….what?" The buxom scientist looked closely at the screen. "This is odd…you seem to have picked up some strange elements from your regeneration."

She pointed to a small, grey tinged column, quirking an eyebrow. "It seems that when those stars were destroyed, either to fuel your re-entry or because of it, you kept a portion of the matter inside of your body."

"I've got a star inside of me?" Tenchi asked, patting his torso, looking down.

"No, geez, you kept a little bit of the star _matter_ inside of you. Helium, iron, argon, a bit of carbon and some spare neon, nothing to be really worried about. I'll keep an eye on you just in case, but you should be fine."

She tapped a few keys, logging the data for further analysis and closed down her terminal, standing up and dusting herself off. "Well, that should just about do it for today." She grinned lecherously down at him. "Unless you wanted to give me that sample after all…?"

"No, that's okay…" He chuckled nervously, trying to unstrap himself from the chair.

"Oh you're so mean." Washu squeaked, bopping him on the forehead with her knuckles. "Well then let's get going. I'm sure there's a lot you'd like to see." She chuckled as she helped him unstrap his arms and led him from the lab. "I almost forgot how much fun it was to tease you, Tenchi." She smiled then snapped her fingers. "Oh, that's right! About you grabbing my breast in the dark?" She stepped slightly ahead and cupped his crotch as she moved along, giving him a solid squeeze through his trousers. "I think we're even now."

* * *

><p>Washu entered the main living area of their top-floor townhome, a still furiously blushing Tenchi walking a few steps behind her and out of arms reach. "…So, while I sold a lot of my inventions, we kept having to fund our research, so we were almost constantly flat broke." She laughed nervously. "Thankfully The girls all have jobs and with Ryoko as my assistant we got more work done than ever before, so we made ends meet."<p>

"Wow…sounds like things can get kind of rough around here." Tenchi sighed, smiling sadly. "I don't think I can say I'm sorry enough for what I've done. I put you all in such a terrible position."

Washu shrugged, looking back at him. "It's not so bad, when you do it for someone you love." She smiled sweetly, stretching her arms behind her head.

"Still, if I'm going to stay here, I'd like to contribute somehow." He chuckled, scratching his head. "I can't just grow carrots anymore."

"No, you can't. Speaking of which, it's time to go get Ryo-Ohki. Come on, you can come with. She doesn't know you're back yet." The scientist walked over to one of the walls and put a finger from both hands against it, drawing a glowing line out from the center. The line expanded into a column of light against the wall, shimmering for a moment before opening into a vehicle bay.

"This is so going to take some getting used to…" Tenchi groaned as he walked through the new door, rubbing the smooth sides.

"It's easy enough to figure out." Washu shrugged, walking over to a parked, well car was the best that Tenchi could come up with to describe it. The vehicle was shaped like a bullet, but flat on the bottom, with wing-like protrusions on either side. It spanned about twelve feet in length and a good five feet wide.

Washu opened a panel in the side, climbing into the pod and gesturing for Tenchi to do the same. Reluctantly, he climbed into the passenger side seat, buckling himself into the high-backed chair as Washu flipped a switch, causing the vehicle to hum to life and begin to hover a few inches off the ground. "So, how does this woooooooorrrrrkkkkkkk!"With a snicker of glee Washu took the controls and threw open the throttle, the pod shooting out over the city like a rocket, rushing past buildings and trailing bits of cloud.

After he managed to pry himself from the seat, Tenchi peered out the window, swallowing hard. "Wow…one of your inventions?" The scientist made a disgusted sound and waved a hand to dismiss the question.

"Please, as if I'd ever make something as base as this. Shuttles like these have been around for ages. This one is a Seniwan model." She shrugged, turning sharply towards the center of the city. "Good fuel efficiency, decent turn of speed. It'll get you around."

Tenchi just nodded, amazed by the changes to his home world. In such a short time it had become an alien place, full of technology far beyond mankind's greatest dreams. While he stared out the window Washu brought the shuttle down gently into a landing zone atop a tall building with a landscaped roof and a short spire on one side. The rooftop was populated with shrubbery and foliage, laid out around walking paths and exquisite fountains, the whole scene dominated by two large trees, very similar to the prayer tree back at the Masaki shrine.

"Hey, are those…old ships?" Tenchi asked, stepping out of the shuttle, walking towards the massive trees.

Washu nodded, smiling. "Good eye. This is a Juraian school that they build here in the city. The trees that can no-longer fly are set up in places where they can be well taken care of." As they exited the car a door in the spire opened and a lanky youth sprinted out, waving behind themselves.

When the youth grew nearer, Tenchi saw with slight surprise her tri-toned hair and dark complexion, letting out a laugh as he realized the super computer unit and terrifying pirate battleship was spending her days as a schoolgirl. The teen skipped towards them, humming to herself and swinging her backpack as she went.

"Ryo!" Washu called out, waving the girl over.

"Hi, Washu-Sempai!" She called back, a faint trace of her feline background tingeing her words.

"Washu-Sempai?" Tenchi asked with a chuckle, and got his ear tugged for his trouble.

"Only she gets to call me that. Grandma didn't work, and she sees Ryoko as more of a mother."

As she grew near, Ryo-ohki slowed, tilting her head as she regarded Tenchi. As she got close, she squinted and peered up at him, looking him over this way and that. "Do I know you?" She asked, stepping closer to Washu.

He smiled and nodded. "Yes, from a long time ago."

The girl took a step closer, sniffing the air around him, her amber eyes suddenly lighting up. "C-carrot man?" She asked tentatively.

Tenchi let out a groan then began to laugh, nodding. "Yeah, I grew all those carrots for you when you were just a little thing." He held his hands up, cupping them to show about how large she was as a cabbit.

Ryo-Ohki's eyes went wide as she let out a cry, leaping onto him and hugging Tenchi close. "OH AWESOME! I LOVE CARROT-MAN!" She let go of him, and started to hop in place. "Ohmigodohmigodohmigod! Carrots!"

Tenchi just stood there, confused and maybe a little insulted, but this was so far the second warmest welcome he'd had in this world and wasn't about to turn it away. Washu, on the other hand, was doing everything in her power to keep from laughing.

* * *

><p>As the shuttle pulled back into the vehicle bay, Tenchi saw another two shuttles parked side by side. One appeared to be much more solidly built, colored jet black with the Juraian Enforcement emblem discreetly embossed on its side, while the other was simple and silver with a stripe of teal running from the nose to the rear. He guessed these to be Sasami and Ayeka's cars, and felt a shiver of dread run through his body.<p>

Sasami had grown to be an intimidating woman in a position of power to be feared and respected. She had shown him a very tender side in her act as Kiyo, but now that he was back for real, it was hard to place her feelings towards him. It seemed she took after mother Misaki a bit more than Ayeka did. He stepped out of the vehicle as it settled to the floor and found himself being drug from the car towards the house, Ryo-Ohki tugging him along by his hand.

"SASAMI-ONEESAN!" She called as she pulled him through the phasing door.

"I'm in the kitchen, and please don't shout, Ryo."

"Come see Sasami-Oneesan, Carrot Man!" The furry teen giggled, grinning. "She'll be so happy!" He groaned slightly as he followed her into the kitchen. The lanky girl pushed Tenchi into the kitchen, hollering out "ONEESAN!" and making Sasami jump, and then sigh heavily.

"Ryo, what did I _just_ say? Honestly, you pick up such bad habits at school." She turned, seeing Tenchi in front of Ryo-Ohki, the girl grinning like a fool from around his body and poking at him.

"See? See? I found Carrot-man!" She hopped, clapping her hands. "Isn't it great, Oneesan? Carrot-man is back!"

Sasami nodded, smiling faintly. "Yes, I see that. He's been cooped up with Washu for a while now, and he's just gotten better from being very sick." She nodded to Tenchi then turned back to her cooking. "Now Ryo, you go and get started on your homework, alright?"

The young cabbit-morph just stood there with her mouth open for a moment and then closed it, making a face and exhaling dramatically she dragged her feet and walked from the kitchen.

"Close the door please?" Sasami called over her shoulder as she continued chopping radish for supper. Tenchi moved to follow Ryo-Ohki, feeling rather awkward to be caught in the middle of that.

"Stay." Sasami intoned, not a statement that could have been considered a request by anyone. Flinching, Tenchi looked longingly at the kitchen door as it closed, feeling as though the slight click when it latched was as loud as a sarcophagus lid in an empty tomb.

He swallowed hard, looking back at Sasami, who calmly continued to cut vegetables for the stew. "So…" She began over the sound of an extremely sharp knife slicing through thick stems and tubers. "You're back and well again, hmm? Do you like our world, Tenchi?" She turned, sticking the knife point first into her chopping block where it wobbled, making a warped, metallic echo.

"I say _our_ world because it could hardly be recognized as the one you left behind, can it?" She walked towards him, seeming to grow taller with each step. "I don't know why you left, or what made you go, but I remember what happened because of it. No one likes to talk about it very much, but I was there." She stepped in very close, her nose an inch away from his, and he froze, a trickle of sweat worming its way down his spine as he stood stock straight.

She walked around him slowly, looking him up and down with her hands clasped behind her back, letting out a sigh. "It happened about thirteen years ago. Some backwater planet on the edge of space had heard about the boy with the light hawk wings and came for you. They wanted to try to control you and make you a weapon. If you'd been here, you probably would have destroyed all of them." She stopped in front of him, facing to the side, her eyes cut to look at him. "But you weren't."

She continued her walk, the pot seething on the stove, forgotten. "So these mercenaries gathered their forces and attacked planet Jurai, thinking we were hiding you. We fought back, of course, and we won, but Ayeka and I were off world, attending a conference. On our return trip, our ship was hijacked and we were taken captive. You can imagine what a prize we were, the two royal princesses of family Jurai. Worth a fortune in ransom, more if we were returned to our family unspoiled."

She chuckled without humor. "I guess it wasn't enough."

"The pirates proceeded to take me and Ayeka to separate rooms. Three men, two held me down as the other started getting undressed. He tossed his belt to the side, and there, just within reach was his vibroblade." She swallowed, taking a steadying breath before continuing. "I killed them. I was just a girl, barely fourteen, and I had already stained my hands with blood. I took their weapons and found Ayeka. She wasn't as lucky as I was, but she was still intact, at least where it counted."

She turned, facing away from him and leaning on the counter as she continued. "We rallied the remaining crew and fought back, taking back our ship, but we all knew that nothing would be the same. I was just a girl, Tenchi…I felt them die on that blade and a…a part of me died too." He saw spots of water appear on the counter and saw her shoulders shake. "You weren't there, Tenchi…" She turned then, her eyes red and tears running down her cheeks. "You weren't there…Oniisan…"

All at once her hard exterior cracked and Sasami ran into Tenchi, burying her face against his chest as she cried. He folded his arms around her, resting his cheek on her hair. "Sasami…I'm so sorry…" Slowly they slipped to the ground, remaining there as she cried into his tunic with his arms around her.

* * *

><p>Tenchi helped serve dinner that night, carrying out the big pot of stew while Sasami brought out the sides and garnished the plates, ladling out servings for everyone. Mihoshi immediately started spooning food into her face, mumbling around her utensil about how delicious it was. Noike rolled her eyes and thanked Sasami for the meal before eating.<p>

Washu coughed, setting down her spoon for a moment. "Noike," The turquoise haired woman turned to her. "Tenchi was telling me about how he wanted to help out around the house, since he's going to be staying with us…"

"Carrots." Mumbled Ryo-Ohki

Washu pointedly ignored the comment. "So I was wondering if there are any openings in the GXP Special Security Division just now."

Noike swallowed her mouthful of food, nodding some. "Well, yes, but you would have to go through the regular training cycles as everyone else does." She flushed some, smiling. "Of course, with your skills I'm sure you would pass with flying colors, but it is regulation."

Tenchi chuckled and sipped his tea. "I don't know if that would be right for me anyways…I don't have a lot of experience in keeping the peace." He almost choked on his tea as Washu nuzzled against him.

"You can always be my guinea pig…" She chimed sweetly.

Ayeka flustered, slamming down her utensil. "M-miss Washu…!" She stopped short as Sasami raised a hand to stop her, the older princess sitting down with a huff.

"I think I'll look into the Galaxy police…thing." Tenchi smiled softly, pulling subtly away from Washu.

Mihoshi set down her spoon, sighing contently, then looked around the table, looking confused. "Hey…where's Ryoko?" She looked around the room as if expecting her to be on the ceiling or perhaps hiding.

"I got a wave from her earlier today saying she'd be busy this evening. I don't think we should worry." Washu said calmly, taking another drink of tea.

_She's on the roof…_ Tenchi though, then caught himself, an odd look crossing his face. _How do I know that? _

'_Because that's HER gem attached to you…' _He heard Washu's voice echo in his head, making him shiver. He pushed his bowl away, standing up. "Thank you, Sasami, for such a lovely meal."

"You're welcome Tenchi. I hope you'll give me a hand with dinner tomorrow too." She smiled up at him, her eyes warm as they touched on his face.

Tenchi turned and walked upstairs, trying his hand at the walls until he found a doorway that opened onto a staircase leading up. He followed the stairs and pushed open a mechanical hatch at the top of the staircase, finding himself greeted by cool night air.

* * *

><p>Ryoko sat on the sloped roof, her feet dangling off the edge, a cup of sake in her hand. She brought it to her mouth with a slight wobble, having depleted and replenished her sake-warmer's supply half a dozen times already. Her lips felt numb and her fingers tingled as she took a slow, long sip of the steaming wine.<p>

What was it about this boy? _Man now…_ This man who had been a part of her life for only a handful of years of her life. She had lived for more than a thousand years, and yet some _child_ of only thirty three years drove her to drink herself into a stupor. She swallowed the fragrantly bitter wine, biting her lip and closing her eyes as she swallowed.

"Is there enough left for me?" A voice called out behind her, almost making her choke on her wine.

She turned sharply, ready to loose her sharp tongue on whoever was behind her, but her throat closed and her heart pounded as she saw Tenchi standing on the slanted roof, his hands in his pockets. She pursed her lips, making a face at him. "I thought you didn't drink."

"I only never drank because I was too much of a goody two shoes." He said, walking down towards her. "I knew I wasn't supposed to until I was old enough, so I never did." He shrugged, sitting down beside her and gently taking the cup from her hand. "I'm certainly old enough now…" He said taking a drink and handing it back to her. "It's like indirectly kissing, isn't it?" He smiled softly, looking back at her.

She slapped he cup from his hand, her face a mask of fury. "Don't you _**dare**_ say that to me." She sneered at him, fighting against the blurring of her eyes.

He sighed, looking over at the bottle in the warmer, reaching for it. "I heard you helped find me…helped to find where I had hidden myself." He said, gesturing for her to give him the bottle. "I wanted to come up here to thank you…"

She pulled the warm bottle from the mechanical heater, offering it to him, feeling that it was too warm for a normal person to hold. He took the bottle without a second glance, pulling it to his lips and taking a long drink, swallowing hard. She felt her cheeks flush as she watched him drink, feeling her hand reach out to him despite herself, pulling back as he dropped the bottle from his lips.

"I saw you in the train station, you know…" He said, making her freeze. "You were smoking a cigarette and wearing a black hooded sweater. I saw your eyes." He took another long drink of the heated wine, letting out a sigh as he felt it settle hotly inside of him.

"Ryoko…I'm not asking for your forgiveness. I'm not asking you to love me again. I'm not even asking you to be my friend. I just want you to know that I miss you, and that I wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me." He smiled softly, handing her back the warmed bottle.

She took the bottle, her eyes calm but her heart pounding beyond her control. "Y-you're welcome…" She managed to stammer out.

He stood, chuckling softly. "Don't worry. I won't bite…" he smiled as he moved closer to her. "I didn't know what you were after, but I'm glad I got to saw you in my dream." He held up his arm, rolling his sleeve down to show the bulge the gem created in his forearm. "…And thank you, for this. It made me realize this wasn't all about me, but that there were others outside, waiting for me."

She sat silently, taking a swig from the hot bottle, trying to ignore his words. He didn't have anything to say that she wanted to hear. As far as she knew, getting him back home was the _last_ thing she had to do for him.

"Give me your hand…" He asked, offering her his, his eyes soft as he sat down beside her. She tentatively set her hand into his, and felt his strong fingers close over her hand. She felt a buzzing in her ears, like a mosquito swishing by. _'R…' _ she sat up straight, a pale sheen of sweat coating her forehead.

He squeezed his eyes closed, brow furrowed as he held her hand tightly, leaving her trembling and staring at him. _'Ryoko…' _ The words resonated in her head, echoing like a long lost dream. _'I lo…' _

She snatched her hand away, pulling back and letting a sound blow explode against his face, her palm flat against his cheek, forcing him onto his back on the roof as she stood over him, seething. "Don't you DARE say that to me…Not after everything…everything you've done…" She felt her eyes water, blinking the pain away. "I don't want to hear those words come out of your mouth…and stay the **FUCK** out of my head."

He lay there, holding his cheek as she looked him in the eyes, fading away, he saw her right hand reach out to him before she faded from sight. He sighed, sitting up and shaking his head. With a soft grunt he pushed himself to his feet, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, pulling away a streak of scarlet. He let out another sigh and headed for the hatch in the roof, looking up to the stars up ahead. "I love you, Ryoko…"

* * *

><p>That night, Tenchi dreamed of eating stars, popping them in his mouth like candy, savoring the sweet, spicy power of pure, stellar energy. He ate and ate and ate till his stomach distended and glowed with power. The power of a thousand planets and solar systems. The light of a billion worlds, possessed in him and him alone. Such glory was unimaginable, a desire built on lust and control, yet still, still he hungered….<p>

* * *

><p>"Sector 544327-94Θ reporting in, all systems and sensors nominal." The GXP officer called in over the radio, sighing as he sent the transmission, bored from another eventless night. He had joined the GXP for action and adventure, not galaxy patrol, hunting anomalies and odd occurrences.<p>

He sighed again, settling back in his seat as he took a sip from his cold coffee mug, making a face. He activated the autopilot and leaned his head back, letting out a long breath.

The alarm from the autopilot woke him up, his pill-box hat falling from his head as he turned hastily to the controls. "Command, this is GXP unit 7745231, we have detected an anomaly at sector 544327-94Θ, please advise." He scanned his system report, his eyes growing wide. "Haru, activate front video feed!" He cried, hoping his sensors were malfunctioning.

As the screen developed, he saw star after star growing massive, and then fading into a tiny sphere before exploding into a deadly nova of radiation and light. The closest, seven parsecs away, began to expand. In a rush, he established a data link with GXP HQ and began feeding video and audio to the database.

The last thing they heard as the star engulfed him was screams, and static.


	4. A Waking Fear

A Dream Unrequited

Chapter 4

**A Waking Fear**

_All characters, settings and copyrights are property of Pioneer and Funimation and not the author_

_Alright, I've got this latest chapter up WAY later than I wanted to and it is currently my absolute favorite of this storyline. All you RyoXTen lovers out there are going to get a kick out of this one, and maybe even a few surprises along the way. _

_Please, give me your thoughts about what you liked or didn't and how you feel the story is progressing!  
><em>

* * *

><p>Ryoko awoke with a splitting headache, her mouth dry and tasting of stale alcohol. She sat up in her bed, running a hand over her aching eyes. What had she done last night? Here Tenchi was, about to say the words her heart had yearned to hear for fifteen long years and she goes and screws it all up because she's feeling sorry for herself and hurt for what he did to her.<p>

Of course she had been more or less plastered, but that was no excuse. She let out a long, shuddering sigh as she rubbed at her face, feeling like a fool and a bitch.

_What is wrong with me?_ She thought, climbing out of bed, the covers slipping from her body as she pulled herself up. _I scream at him, I hit him, I go off and…_ she ran her hands through her hair, her mind racing. _What…what did I do last night?_

She gave her hair a tug, wincing as her head throbbed sharply. She looked around her room, reaching for the aspirin she always kept on her shelf. Her hand knocked against the wall, making her bounce up and down, shaking her hand in pain. _What the hell? _ She tried to focus her bleary eyes, looking where she tried to grab and seeing a solid wall with a slight dent in it.

_This…this isn't my room…_

She turned slowly, her eyes wide with worry. She saw Tenchi lying half under the covers, her heart beginning to pound as her eyes played over his nude torso, taking in the muscular curves of his form. _Did we… No…_ She shook her head, her hand traveling down to her loins against her will, not feeling the warm, satisfied ache she remembered from all those years ago, the physical memory of their lovemaking still hitting her like a hammer blow after so long alone.

Overwhelmed, she felt her knees buckle, panic beginning to set in as she saw her one-time lover stir, her mind still a haze from the night before. Tenchi mumbled something in his sleep rolling over. Ryoko let out a muted shriek of panicked terror, trying to fade out of sight but finding herself unable to do so.

With trembling hands she reached for the door, slipping it open and stumbling out, sliding it closed behind herself. She paused, peeping through the gap in the doorway, watching Tenchi sleep, her terrified expression softening as she watched the motion of his breathing, feeling her cheeks flush hotly as she took in his languid form.

So beautiful he was to her, so precious. She had spent the past twelve years of her life on him. Studying, researching and learning the ways of science and matter, learning to turn the world to her hand with the subtlety of knowledge instead of the power of her muscles. She changed her _whole life_ just to find him and bring him home to her side.

_Why? _ Why was it so important to her that he be back? Yes, their world needed him, she understood that now. The things that had happened…that _that_ had happened…proved that he needed to be in their world, no matter how she felt. Still his presence brought such strife into her heart. She pined for him, but she pitied him, and pitied herself for desiring him and his approval so much.

Slowly her memory of the night before began to come into focus through the cloud of her inebriation. After her outburst at Tenchi she had flown off, searching for something to numb the growing pain in her heart, tears streaming from her eyes to sparkle in the night. She found herself laid out in one of the many floating gardens that spotted the city, drowning herself in the alcoholic equivalent to gasoline, her entire body numb save the fissure in her heart.

In a drunken stupor she had stumbled into Tenchi's room, falling asleep on the floor at the foot of his bed. Sometime during the night she had slithered herself up under the covers to curl up beside him, the scent of his body calming her tumultuous heart.

A soft smile split her face, her heart melting slightly as she leaned against the door jamb and let out a sigh.

With a grunt and a mumbled word Tenchi turned over, facing her peeking eye. "R-Ryoko…" He intoned, his eyelids parting slightly. With a stifled yelp she slammed the sliding door shut with a loud bang and willed herself away, disappearing with a soft twinkling sound. Tenchi snorted awake, sitting up and looking around his room blearily. With a sigh he flopped back down, falling back asleep.

* * *

><p>The GXP headquarters bustled with activity as Noike and Tenchi stood at the recruitment desk, filling out the required paperwork for application. "…So, Tenchi, do you have any special skills that could be applicable to a position in the GXP?"<p>

He chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I'm not so sure anymore. I'm quite strong and I have a fair amount of martial arts experience if that makes a difference. I'm also of Juraian decent, so I have, or at least _had_ a small array of different techniques I could use in a pinch. "

The instructor behind the counter smiled and nodded to him. "That works. We'll test your abilities during the medical physical period."

"I'll take care of that." A voice said behind them. Tenchi and Noike turned to see Washu standing behind them in her adult form, dressed in a tight, form fitting uniform with a lab coat over it, her hands in her pockets.

"Oh, Miss Washu…" he caught himself as she shot an evil look from the voluptuous scientist. "Er, Washu-Chan…What are you doing here?"

She smirked at him, moving her hands from her pockets to clasp them behind her back, leaning towards him. "I wanted to see you off on your first day, Ten-Chi…" The motion caused the already tight uniform to stretch even tighter across her ample bosom. Tenchi blushed some and looked away, the instructor behind the counter opening his eyes wide and letting his mouth fall open slightly. Noike blushed a bit herself as the scientist straightened up, snickering maliciously. "Also I've been called in to investigate an exceptionally interesting special anomaly that a patrol ship captured data from."

Her face fell some, looking to the side. "The poor man lost his life to get that data for us. I just hope we can use it for some good." She shook her head and smiled softly. "I'll take a little bit of time off to assist in your application process, then it's back to the grind." She clapped a hand on Tenchi's shoulder, nodding to the Instructor. "I'll take it from here Aldero. Noike?"

The turquoise haired woman nodded to her, smiling softly. "I'll take care of the additional paperwork." She took the sheaf of papers from the instructor, and then made a face at the retreating scientist calling to her as she led Tenchi through the crowd. "Be gentle on him, he's in for training at 1400 hours!"

* * *

><p>Tenchi let out a sigh, feeling an oddly disquieting sense of nostalgia as he hung from a series of metal arms, stripped down to his boxers. "Was this <em>REALLY<em> necessary?" He whined, tugging ineffectually at his restraints.

"Of course." She chimed, tapping buttons on a console nearby. "Alright, I'm going to stimulate you."

"W-What?"

"I'm going to try to make your body react to negative stimuli." She smiled at him, pushing a button on her console making an automated blaster swing down from the ceiling to point right at him.

"H-hold on a second…this isn't fair!" Tenchi struggled, pulling at his restraints, feeling his muscles bulge against the cold steel of the arms. The blaster began to whine, powering up as Washu stood by grinning madly. "Hey, come on, let me go!" He struggled harder, the arms beginning to whine as they stretched against his strength.

"Washu!" He cried as light began to shine from the barrel of the gun, the tone of its charge cycle rising to a crescendo. "WASHU!" The light burst forth, blinding him to the world.

Blinking away the stars and after shadows, Tenchi looked around, feeling light-headed. His field of vision was filled with Washu's madly grinning face.

"See, you big baby, I told you everything would be alright." She pulled back, returning to type on her keyboard. "The increased presence of massu-based energy in your body appears to have caused a physiological change in your molecular structure making your body highly resistant to impact by physical and energy based assault. This is likely due to the addition of an outside element and the conversion of energy during your reconstitution."

Blinking and pulling a face, Tenchi narrowed his eyes and cut a stare at the scientist. "Could you explain that in a way that I might actually be able to understand?"

"Your body is very much like Ryoko's since you had the gemstone inside of yourself when you were reborn." She poked him in the chest, smirking. "I wouldn't be surprised if you had a few more of her abilities as well." Turning back to her console she pushed a button, making the restraints whisper with released air, letting go of his body.

"You picked up some of her strength too." She pointed to his arm, one of the mechanical arms still holding onto his bicep. He looked at the tube of steel hanging from his arm. "I…I talked to her." Washu looked over at him, tilting her head. "With my mind." He smiled softly, letting out a sigh and pulling the metal hand free to fall to the floor with a clank. "I tried to tell her how I felt about her and she hit me."

He chuckled softly, shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders. "I guess I can't blame her, what with me leaving all those years ago." Washu looked at him, her face serious.

"Tenchi…it wasn't that you left…" She bit her lip and shook her head sorrowfully. "It's what happened after you left." She stood, pulling her lab coat tight around her shoulders and coughed, turning away from him. "You check out fine. I'll let the administration know about your special qualities."

He reached out, taking her by the arm. "Wait…what happened? What happened after I left?" He pulled her back to look at him, his brow furrowed. "First Sasami and Ayeka get hurt because of me, now something happened to Ryoko?" He gave her a slight shake. "Tell me, please."

She shook her head, her eyes cold and serious. "You don't want to know, and I'm not saying that just to be kind. Don't go digging, Tenchi. Some things are best left a secret." She tugged her arm free of him and walked away, her heels clicking on the metal flooring.

* * *

><p>The first day of GXP basic passed fairly uneventfully for Tenchi as he stood alongside the other recruits. A brief lecture concerning the rules and regulations within the GXP handbook, a few physical trials, and then weapon familiarization practices. The next few weeks would bring these men and women up to speed and make them ready to join the force and already on the first day Tenchi had made an impression. He blew the other hopefuls out of the water with his physical abilities, and already knew how to handle a firearm thanks to Mihoshi.<p>

He met Noike outside the trainee barracks, walking together back to her shuttle. "Word is spreading already, Tenchi." She smiled over at him as she strapped herself into the seat. "A lot of people still remember who you used to be." Her eyes twinkled as their eyes met. "The boy with the light hawk wings."

Tenchi chuckled, shaking his head. "Not anymore…That's not who I am." He strapped himself in, stretching. "I'm just Tenchi now I guess." She flushed slightly, shaking her head back at him.

"No…you're more than that…you're something special." She bit her lip then coughed, pointedly looking ahead as she drove, her cheeks burning brightly. "At least to some of us you are." He smirked, looking at her as she drove. Here sat a woman who was chosen by the most terrifying member of the royal Juraian family, blushing like a schoolgirl.

"You know, I'm not really the man Seto-Sama wanted you to marry anymore." Her eyes went wide, her steering going a little wild at the Devil Princesses name. Tenchi chuckled softly. "I don't mean to alarm you, but I'm not. Washu said my blood is still Juraian and that I'm still part of the royal family, but I can't do the light wings anymore." He smiled somewhat sadly. "I can't be anyone's secret weapon anymore."

"Seto-Sama didn't want you to be a weapon, Tenchi." She said her voice thick, "She wanted you to take your grandfathers place and become the next Emperor." She swallowed hard, licking her lips before continuing. "Azusa-Dono…is a fine Emperor. But it is, in my most honored Seto-Sama's opinion that he has lost his touch on the feelings and desires of our people." She looked at him as they slowed, nearing their home. "Seto-Sama saw in you the compassion and strength to be a leader for our people…" She flushed again, her eyes cast down slightly. "…And in me, the grace and stability to help you grow into the man she knew you could be."

When their eyes met again, hers were shining with emotion. "Tenchi…we never really had any time to grow close. It was only a few months that I had known you before the…well, incident took place." She smiled softly. "I know that you did what you thought you had to, and I don't hate you for it." She cleared her throat, looking ahead again. "Perhaps there might even still be a chance for us, if you wanted. We could see this as a new start, a clean slate." She glanced back at him, a wry smile on her lips. "Couldn't we?"

Tenchi let out a slow sigh, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. "Noike, I…." He smiled sadly, looking over at her. "I can't tell you how much that means to me." He offered her his hand, taking hers into his own and giving it a gentle squeeze. "And you have to know that I care about you very much…."

She gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles white. "But…"

He let her hand go and exhaled hard. "But, I'm not the indecisive young man I once was. For fifteen years I had no real company but myself, and I grew up." He gave her a sad smile. "I know what I want."

She moved her hand back to the steering wheel, biting her lip gently. "I see."

"I'm sorry, Noike-San. " He settled back in his seat, looking out the window.

"You do realize that this will greatly upset Seto-Sama, right?"

Tenchi choked himself then, a mental image of the Devil Princess of Jurai fuming over him, her rage unleashed on this young man she had such hope in. "I…I'm…" He swallowed hard. "Do you think she would…?" He looked over at Noike, seeing her shoulders shaking, a confused look spreading across his face as she threw her head back, laughing.

"Oh, Tenchi, Seto-Sama will be fine. As the matchmaker of Jurai she always has a backup plan." She pushed a button on the console, opening the penthouse landing bay and piloting the shuttle inside and landing. Shutting the vehicle down, Noike let out a sigh and turned in her seat to look at Tenchi. "I'm not going to say that it doesn't hurt that you didn't choose me, but Tenchi…" She reached over and took his hand, smiling softly. "But I honestly just want to see you happy."

"Noike," Tenchi smiled, giving her hand a squeeze. "We're always going to be friends, and I want you to know that I'll always think of you as part of my family." Unbuckling himself from the seat and leaning over, he looped his arm around her neck, pressing his forehead to hers with a smile.

"Thank you, Tenchi." She blushed hotly, nuzzling a bit against him. He pulled back, planting a friendly kiss on her forehead before climbing out of the shuttle. "Come on Noike, let's get inside. After today I'm starving." He chuckled, walking around the vehicle and opening her door for her.

* * *

><p>The smell of food drew Tenchi to the dinner table like a zombie, settling down between Washu and Ayeka as his stomach grumbled.<p>

"Sounds like someone needs this..." Sasami smiled, setting a plate loaded with noodles, vegetables and grilled steak, the very sight of which made Tenchi's mouth flood with saliva.

"Oh man, do I ever. Thank you Sasami," He hastily shoveled forkfuls of food into his mouth, letting out little noises of satisfaction as he chewed. "So good…" He managed through a mouthful, making the younger princess smile warmly.

Sitting back down, her cheeks tinged pink at his praise, Sasami cleared her throat and took up her fork as well. "How was your first day as part of the GXP, Tenchi?"

Swallowing, he took a sip of his tea and nodded. "Pretty good, I'm doing well with the training, and our instructor asked me to look into the…" He tapped his fork on his lips, thinking back to earlier that day. "I think she said the 'Perimeter Defense Sector'?"

Sasami's eyes widened and then she smirked. "Oh, I see…"

Tilting his head and looking perplexed he let her comment go without pushing further. He looked around the table, smiling softly as he felt the old sensation of belonging once more, of truly having a family again. His eyes fell on Ryoko and felt his smile grow deeper, his heart hitching slightly.

Ryoko was doing her best to keep her eyes on her plate, Tenchi's presence at the table making conflicting emotions pulse through her. Chewing slowly, she tried to think of anything other than that morning, finding herself in his bed, and in such a state. She felt heat creep into her cheeks as she thought of what she might have done had she been sober enough. An odd sensation crept over her then, making her blink slowly, trying to understand what she was feeling.

Longing, an aching, deep seated desire for…for what? She searched her heart, trying to find what made her feel this way. With Tenchi at the table, she felt an awkward wanting, but this was something she couldn't place. This wanting felt like a stone in her heart, making her touch her chest, feeling her pulse pound at this mixture of anticipation and pain. She looked up, glancing around the table.

Ayeka and Sasami were discussing some kind of space anomaly with Washu, and Noike and Mihoshi were giggling about some rumor going around the GXP HQ. Her eyes passed over Tenchi's and found him staring at her, their eyes locking. A shiver ran through her as his eyes widened, and he flushed, suddenly very interested in his food.

_Wait…_ She thought back to last night, hearing his voice echo in her head. _The gem…_ She unconsciously rubbed her wrist where one of her remaining gemstones sat, smooth against her thumb. She bit her lip and concentrated, feeling her connection to Washu like a well traveled road, but something else tickling her mind.

'_What are you doing?' _She heard Washu intone in her head.

'_Stay out of this.' _ She replied, closing off the link from her end.

"Be careful." Washu said out loud, looking up as everyone looked at her. "…The tofu is kind of spicy." She finished calmly, taking another bite, making Sasami look questioningly at both the scientist and the dish of food, sniffing her own bite of food.

Mentally rolling her eyes, Ryoko pushed forward with her mind, slipping down the new mental path she sensed. Suddenly a rush of emotions hit her like a wave, feeling her heart swell with longing, love, and desire tinged hot with lust. She trembled felt her face grow hot as her body reacted, her pulse pounding in her ears. _Is this…Is this how he feels for me?_ She looked up at him, seeing him cut his eyes quickly to the side again to avoid her gaze.

"Ryoko?" Washu asked, snapping her back into her own mind and making her jump, startled.

"Y-yes?" She asked her breath fast and her cheeks crimson.

"Could you pass me the soy sauce?" She asked, gesturing at the bottle while pointedly staring into her daughters' eyes, her expression serious.

Swallowing hard, Ryoko nodded, handing her the bottle with shaking hands. She felt her way back along the path to Tenchi's mind, eager to taste again his desire, feeling her insides tighten as she relished the secret pleasure. She felt his consciousness envelop her, letting her eyes shiver closed to focus on the emotions better as her stomach fluttered with nervous excitement. All of a sudden she felt a shadow rise over her, filling her mind with a roar of anger and pain, gripping her at the core and throwing her from his mind, the shock making her reel and fall back from the table, her plate skittering to the floor with a clatter.

Suddenly everyone was at her side, Tenchi holding her hand and kneeling beside her. "Ryoko!" He touched her forehead, his eyes filled with concern. "What happened?" He asked, giving her hand a squeeze.

Her head still spinning, she nodded slowly, trying to sit up. "Y-yeah…I…was just a little light headed is all. I don't think I feel so well…" She coughed and stood on her unsteady feet, stumbling back a bit. Again Tenchi was right beside her, slipping his arm around her waist and supporting her.

"Hold on…let me help you." He sighed, holding her close. She felt the heat of him next to her and saw his pulse jumping in his neck. "Excuse us, everyone, I think Ryoko needs to go lie down." He smiled softly to everyone and turned to lead the woman up the stair towards her room.

* * *

><p>"Really, Tenchi, I'm <em>fine<em>." Ryoko whined, her cheeks flushed as he led her to her bed, making her lie down and pulling the blanket up to tuck it under her chin.

"Fine is not falling back from the table and looking like you were about to pass out." He said sternly as he fluffed the pillow under her head. "You shouldn't work so hard, it's probably just stress that's bothering you." He sat down on the edge of her bed, looking down at her warmly. "Please, just get some rest, okay?"

He stood and walked towards the door, then stopped, turning back to face her. "Look…about last night…"

'_Oh please…please don't take it back…I know now…'_

He rubbed the back of his head, letting out a heavy breath. "I guess I'm just moving too fast. Everything is happening all at once and it's a lot to take in." He chuckled, shaking his head and walking back towards her. "Sometimes it's all I can do to just keep my thoughts going in a straight line." He took her hand in his and smiled softly. "But there's one thing I've never been surer of." He chuckled, looking down and shaking his head, looking back up at her with shining eyes, leaning in and kissing her forehead. "Get some rest."

He stood and walked away from her then, leaving her to reach for him, her mouth open and lips trembling. Her throat closed up, the words she so longed to say catching in her throat. "T-Tenchi…!" She finally managed to croak out. He let go of the door, turning back to her. She swallowed hard, tears rimming her eyes as she smiled softly. "D-don't go yet?" She licked her lips nervously, letting her eyes linger on his face. "St-stay until I fall asleep?"

* * *

><p>Washu sat in her lab, pouring over the data collected from the GXP shuttle, trying to make heads or tails of the unprecedented event. Gravity, dark flow readings, sub-space string transfer theory, the data seemed to contradict itself. She let her mind wander a moment to her daughter's folly that night. She had suspected she would try something like it once she realized their connection, but something happened.<p>

_I warned her not to go too deeply…that kind of connection is a two way road…_ She shook her head, returning her concentration to her screen. _Something has to make sense here, there's no reason why…_ She paused for a second, rubbing her eyes and sitting back and trying to look at the whole string of data at once. Something about it was eerily familiar. The more she looked at it the stronger the feeling became, gnawing at the back of her mind. "I've seen this…"

Her eyes went wide, panic and surprises almost making her lose her balance. _No…no…no-no-no-no-no…._ Her hands moved with lightning speed as she opened three more translucent windows, moving data from one screen to another pulling up a graph and transposing the image over the data stream. Her hands fell to the side, feeling her body tremble with fear. The image on the screen was a transparent overlay of Tenchi's energy reading, the spikes and dips of his data reversed, matching the anomaly data perfectly.

* * *

><p>Tenchi sat at the head of Ryoko's bed, gently stroking her hair as her eyelids drooped, her breathing slowing. "Tenchi…." She breathed, looking up at him through her drowsy eyes. He smiled, putting a finger to her lips, shushing her. She shook her head, pulling away from him. "No…" She closed her eyes, a tear falling slowly down her cheek. "I've always…even before…"<p>

She shook her head again, looking up at him, her tears falling faster. "But we can't…It can't be the same…"

Tenchi smiled sadly, still stroking her hair. "Don't say that, I know things won't ever be just like they were before. A lot has happened, but we can work it out. I have a lot to atone for." He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "We can rebuild, no matter what. That's what families do, for the people they love."

Choking back a sob, Ryoko turned from his touch, trembling. "You don't understand…Tenchi…" She sat up, turning to look back at him with red-rimmed eyes full of pain.

"We had a child."


	5. As Princes Dream Sweetly

A Dream Unrequited

Chapter 5

As Princes Dream Sweetly

_All characters, settings and copyrights are property of Pioneer and Funimation, not the Author_

* * *

><p>Ryoko sat up then, the blankets sliding off of her as she hugged her knees to her chest. All thoughts of sleep were gone now as she felt her heart pound with sorrow. She felt Tenchi stiffen from his seat on the edge of her bed and was somehow glad she was the one who got to tell him this despite the raw wound she was opening again.<p>

She took a deep, shuddering breath and tried to calm the trembling of her lips as she fervently searched for the words that hurt her so. "Tenchi, we had a child." She looked at him with eyes full of sadness, her pain seeping through their mental link, causing Tenchi's breath to catch in his throat.

"B-but how? I mean, we," he swallowed, his cheeks warm, "we only made love once…"

Ryoko ran a hand through her spikey cyan hair, smoothing it down and letting out a thick chuckle. "Sometimes that's all it takes…" She sniffed, running the back of her hand across her nose, shaking her head. "But that's not what I meant, and that's not what happened."

With a sigh, she settled back against her headboard closing her eyes and biting her lower lip. "I think I need a drink." She chuckled, looking over at Tenchi sitting tense in his position on the edge of the bed. "Get me the bottle? From that cabinet right over there." She gestured to a cabinet set into the wall of her room.

Tenchi nodded and dazedly walked to the cabinet, opening it and taking out the short, round jug he found inside. As he held it a shiver of recognition ran through him and he traced his fingers over the smooth curves of the stoneware.

"You got a new one…" He smiled softly, handing the jug to her.

Ryoko pulled the cork out with a soft popping sound and nodded before taking a long drink. Exhaling loudly, she offered him the bottle. "After Washu sent mine into your dream world, I missed it so much I needed another." She shrugged her shoulders and watched Tenchi tip the bottle up and take a drink. "It still doesn't feel right though, the taste is different."

Taking the bottle back, she sighed and let her shoulders slump as she leaned back against her headboard, her eyes seeming to look past the far wall. "It was thirteen years ago. After I left and after you disappeared I found a little place for myself outside of the solar system on planet Todain. I'd been on my own for a while, mostly working with Washu and Ryo-Ohki, doing courier routes and the like for some spare cash." She took another drink and cast her eyes down not looking at him as she continued. "So, to start with I was getting ill in the mornings. I thought maybe it was just some bad fish, or too much drinking or something, but it was too regular for that. I started feeling ill all the time, and I was gaining weight."

Without thinking about it, she found her hand rubbing her lower abdomen, remembering the warmth and movement of life within her, making her eyes sting in regret. She closed her eyes and took another long pull of sake, a single tear escaping her eye to roll down her cheek. She almost choked when she felt a hand on her face, wiping away the tear. She opened her eyes to see Tenchi smiling sadly at her.

_That stupid sweet smile…_ She shook her head, plowing on before she lost her resolve. "I went to go see Washu, and told her what was happening. She didn't believe me when I said I hadn't been with anyone." She cut a glance at Tenchi. "Not since you."

She cleared her throat before he could say something sweet or kind, she knew she couldn't take that right now. "So she ran some tests, and she started freaking out, which did me a world of good I can tell you." _Here it comes… _Ryoko bit her lip, letting out a slow, shuddering sigh. "I was pregnant. The baby's DNA matched both of ours."

She took another deep draught of sake and swallowed hard. "Now, this wasn't some kind of new-age biblical Immaculate Conception or something, Washu ran some pretty in-depth tests and found your chromosomes in my egg cell." She chuckled wryly and made a face at him. "So, did you feel the Earth move when you fucked me through space and time?" Her leer fell quickly, her eyes brimming with fresh tears.

"Ryoko…I didn't…I wouldn't do that to you." Tenchi tried to reach for her, but she smacked his hand away. She sniffled and wiped her eyes on her sleeve, offering him the sake bottle with a soft sloshing sound.

"I know. I know you didn't…but if you had stayed here, if you hadn't rejected us and gone off to float around in your mind for a decade and a half…we would have been together. We would have had a child together." She hugged her knees close again, burying her face against her thighs.

"Tenchi…" Ryoko looked up from her thighs, her face a mask of pain. Her eyes shone with tightly locked emotion and her lower lip kept trembling despite her best efforts. "In this time stream, we were supposed to be together. With you gone, events that _should_ have taken place didn't, but sometimes the repercussions still happened." She took a deep, shivering breath trying to calm her raging heart, squeezing her hands together against her legs tight enough to make her knuckles whiten. "This world still believed that you were here…that we still made love, and were still in love, and that we were supposed to have a family together."

Tenchi sat dumbstruck, the sake bottle held in his lap. _I thought I had a lot to answer for before, but this…_ He shook his head slowly, trying to take the new information in. He took a long drink of sake and pushed the cork back into the neck of the jug. "R-Ryoko…What happened?" He swallowed hard, starting to extend his hand to her, then thinking better and letting it fall to the bed. "What happened to our child?"

Ryoko bit her lip hard, tasting sweet, coppery blood against her teeth as she struggled not to break down, reaching into the coldest part of her heart to keep from letting the pain overtake her. "She…she died." She shook her hair back, not looking at Tenchi as she spoke, needing to get this all out and over with before her sadness stole her voice. "She was premature by four months…I was just starting to get a little belly then…Stillborn, Washu called it. She had been keeping an eye on the baby's progress, and I knew something was wrong. Her comments about the baby's development got shorter and shorter, and she would speak to my tummy more and more."

She scoffed, masking a sob as she continued. "Saying ridiculous things like 'Grammy loves you', 'be strong', 'I'll see you soon' and things like that. W-When she was born and Washu told me she had died…" Ryoko shook her head, taking a steadying breath. "When I saw that hopeless look in her eyes, I lost it. I don't think I ever cried that much, not even when I told you goodbye."

"You never sai…" Tenchi began before Ryoko rounded on him, tears trickling down her face.

"DON'T you even start! Don't you DARE fucking interrupt me. You wanted to know this? Then just FUCKING listen." Her chest heaved with furious, sorrowful gasps of breath, and her hands trembled as she tried to calm herself.

Eventually she slumped back against her headboard, holding out her hand for the bottle. "I think I cried for weeks, months maybe. I don't remember sleeping or eating or anything. Even Ayeka came by to try to snap me out of it." She snorted then, giving up and letting her tears fall freely to drip off her chin. "That daffy princess… All that happened was I wound up crying on her lap. I think for a while there she hated you more than I did." She snatched the bottle from Tenchi's proffering hand, pulling the cork out viciously.

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed huge gulps of sake, trying to drown out the pain. She finally let the bottle fall away, wiping her mouth and choking back a sob. "I knew…I just knew that it had something to do with you, Tenchi." He tilted his head, looking confused as she continued. "Washu said it was just something that happens, that sometimes children just don't make it. I didn't believe her."

She let out a shivering sigh, looking at him then and shaking her head slowly. "I checked her old back-logs of data and I found out that our child, our little girl, was dying inside me. Her cells were breaking down faster than they could grow." Her shoulders shook as she forced out her words. "Our daughter died because she was never meant to be here…she wasn't meant to be born into a world that never knew her father, and Washu knew it."

As the words left her mouth, Ryoko felt the dam within her burst. First her sobs were small, then grew as the freshly awakened pain tore through her, the loss still as raw as the day it happened. With a mournful howl she curled into a ball, mewling into the sleeve of her dress as her shoulders shook.

Tenchi sat awkwardly on the edge of the bed, tear tracks running down his cheeks. With a trembling hand he reached out to touch her, placing it gently on her back. "Ryoko…I'm sorry."

Her sobs slowed and she sat up, reaching behind her back for his hand. Obligingly, he shifted and slipped it into hers, as she whispered "…Sorry?" Her shoulders shook once more as she pulled his arm around herself, making him shift to sit behind her as she hold his arm against her side with her own. "You're….sorry." Tenchi nodded, stifling a sob of his own.

"Ryoko…I never kne…" His words were shut off as she whipped her head back, her skull connecting with his nose with a crunch through her mass of cyan hair. He reeled back, almost falling off the bed but she held tight to his arm, twisting around to face him, her sorrow now mixed with rage, contorting her face into something terrifying to behold.

"After all of this, all the pain I've suffered, the loss of our child, MY child, you say SORRY?" She jerked his arm towards herself, pulling him with all her strength into her advancing fist, making his jaw crack awkwardly to the side.

Tenchi fell to the floor with a thud, cradling his dislocated jaw and looking up at the fuming woman with bleary eyes. He let out a slow sigh then grunted in pain as he shoved his jaw up to click back into its rightful place. He pulled himself up and stood before her, closing his eyes and spreading his arms.

"What do you think you're doing?" She growled, sliding off the bed and landing a terrible blow to his gut. Choking, he fell to his knees holding his midsection. She sneered down at him, this weak, cowardly, beautiful man and felt disgusted by herself. Her knee whipped up and struck his face, causing a fresh burst of crimson to spill from his broken nose, leaving him to suck air through his mouth in ragged gulps.

When he had caught his breath, Tenchi struggled to his feet again, one eye swelling closed, his nose a reddish purple mass drooling scarlet down his face and onto his clothes. Tears welling in her eyes, Ryoko let loose a barrage of blows to his chest, feeling his ribs crack and his right arm slip out of its socket.

Tears streamed down her face as she began to sob, her blows growing weaker and weaker as she fell to her knees in front of a wobbling, badly beaten Tenchi. "Why? Why can't I just kill you? Y-you…you took my baby from me. You took my love away… You took everything away from me, so why can't I?" She sobbed, wiping at her face with bloodied hands leaving crimson streaks across her cheeks.

With a dull thud Tenchi fell backwards, slumping against the door as his head lolled forward. She bolted up, catching him before he fell further, her hands trembling as she guided him gently to the floor. She saw his split, swollen lips moving and leaned in close.

"I…nebber…meant to hurbt you…my lub…" He whispered out, his breath coming in ragged, wet sighs. Fresh tears streamed down her cheeks as she clapped a hand to her mouth, feeling awful about what she had just done.

Scooping up the beaten man, she held him in her arms and phased through her door, no time for courtesies now. She hustled down the staircase and kicked at Washu's wall, panic setting in as she watched Tenchi's breathing slow.

"RYOKO!" Ayeka screamed, dropping her graphic novel and rushing over, holding a hand to her mouth at the sight of Tenchi's broken form. "Oh my god…what…what happened? Did you…?"

She bit her lip and nodded, her bloodshot eyes closed tight. "Yeah…I…I just lost control. I didn't mean for this to happen…" Ayeka started to reprimand her, but then closed her mouth, remembering her friends' painful past.

"I'll get you into Washu's medical bay and start the process." She pulled a small wooden figure from her pocket and pushed a button on it causing it to light up in a slow, shifting pattern. She placed it on Tenchi's forehead, where it settled against his bruised skin with a soft hissing sound. Immediately his breathing eased and the more shallow wounds began to recede, bruises and small impact splits fading away.

The sight of Tenchi breathing easier made Ryoko nearly drop him with relief. Her heart still pounding, she passed through the wall after Ayeka activated it, the princess following quick on her heels as Ryoko ran with Tenchi in her arms down to the medical bay.

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><p>"What the…?" Washu exclaimed, almost dropping the small gadget she was tinkering with as the two women burst into her laboratory carrying the broken man. Without wasting a second, she hammered out a few keystrokes on her console, bringing automatons with medical gear and a hospital bed into her white-paneled lab. As the robots took Tenchi and began strapping him to the medical table, Washu rounded on her daughter, picking her up and off of the ground by her collar to hold her against the wall.<p>

"What the hell did you do? What were you thinking?" She growled, her brow furrowed in anger.

Looking to the side, holding onto her mothers' arms as she was suspended she shook her head. "I-I just lost control. He asked about…her…Mom." She looked back at Washu, her bloodshot eyes still slowly leaking tears. "He said 'I'm sorry.'" She spat the words out as though they were bitter.

Washu shook her slightly, gritting her teeth. "What the hell was he supposed to say? 'Oops?' You have to understand that while Tenchi's disappearance is to blame for a lot of what has happened, HE HIMSELF is not your enemy!"

She let go of her then, letting Ryoko fall to the floor. "You have to see that he had his own problems to deal with and he doesn't know anything about what went on here while he was gone." She rubbed her eyes, turning to look at Tenchi who was already connected to half a dozen monitors, his torso wrapped in a gel-layer cast and his nose set with a metal and glass contraption filled with liquid.

With a sigh, she crossed her arms. "If it was me, I would have just kicked his balls into his gut, but you..." Washu whistled and walked forward, surveying the damage. She clicked her tongue as she walked around the bed-ridden man, watching her automatons swiftly repair his body. "You did a number on him, didn't you?"

She rounded on her daughter, arms still crossed. "Ryoko, your actions were inexcusable. Letting yourself lose control like that could have killed him if it wasn't for that gem of yours in his body." With a sigh she walked over to the wall where Ryoko sat and leaned back against it.

"I know it hurts. Losing a child is the worst thing that can happen to someone." She sighed, sliding down the wall and sitting next to her daughter, slipping an arm around her shoulders to pull her close. "I want to say I would have reacted better in your place, but I don't honestly know if I would have. You harbor such rage for that boy, but I know you still love him despite all you've gone through."

Exhausted, afraid, angry and hurt, Ryoko let down her guard and turned into her mother's shoulder, crying softly as the magenta haired scientist rubbed her back. "I know you only wanted to bring him back to get revenge at first." Washu said with a sigh. "You turned your whole life upside down to make him hurt the way you did, didn't you?"

Ryoko nodded softly against Washu's shoulder, sniffling. "It just hurt so much…how could I not blame him?" She sat up, rubbing her eyes and wiping her nose on her sleeve. "I know you both were there, trying to help me, but I just had to have him back…to make him understand and feel and know how I hurt."

Ayeka walked over to the pair from her place by the door, kneeling next to them. "But, Ryoko, I think Tenchi understands more than you know." She smiled sadly and took the pirate's blood-stained hand in hers. "As much as I hate to admit it, I never stood a chance between the two of you, and I know Tenchi would have wanted a family with you. To have missed out on that chance?" She scoffed, shaking her head. "You might as well cut his heart out."

The three sat there, holding each-other and barely talking as they watched the metal assistants work on Tenchi's broken body, mending him with swift, programed care.

* * *

><p>Tenchi opened his eyes blearily, blinking in the bright light of the medical bay.<p>

_How did I…? Ryoko…_ He sighed, closing his eyes again, his body aching fiercely. He sat up slowly and looked around, the room bare of medical equipment save an IV in his arm. In a chair to the side of his bed, Ryoko sat, still in her clothes from last night.

"Ah, good morning." He said softly, a slight smile reaching his lips. She looked up, shadowy bags under her eyes and tried to smile back.

"You're awake, good." She stood with a groan, and stretched making her back crack in a series of pops. She walked around his bed and opened the valve on his IV, making the glucose-filled tube drain into his arm and feeding a thick, dark colored liquid in behind it.

"Wait…what is that?" He pulled back, eyeing the fluid as it drew closer to his arm.

"Relax, it's a massu-infused serum that I invented while I was working with Washu." She chuckled, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "This stuff's better than stem cells for fixing you up." She walked back to her seat, pulling her chair closer to his bedside.

"I want to apologize for what happened last night, Tenchi." She said with a sigh, leaning her elbows on her knees. "I absolutely lost control and I was wrong for it." Her fists clenched tightly as she looked at them, gritting her teeth. "I just wanted to hate you so much for what I went through, thinking that if only you were here, if only I was good enough to make you still want me…"

She sighed then, relaxing and letting her hands drop to the arm-rests of the chair. "The truth is something good did come from that awful time in my life." She chuckled, spreading her hands to take in the room. "I made something of myself. I attended the academy just so I could work with Washu on a level playing field and try to find you. I invented and researched and worked day and night to find out where you had gone…" She sighed, smiling wryly. "Just so I could take my revenge on you."

Tenchi pulled back from her, looking warily at the dark brown liquid flowing into his arm.

"I told you to relax. I'm done with that now." She shook her head, letting it fall forward. "I can't do it. I can't hurt you for what happened to me."

"That didn't seem to stop you last night…" Sarcasm dripped from his words as he adjusted himself on the bed, feeling odd as the warm massu-serum worked into his veins.

She pulled a face at him, looking up. "I said I was sorry, didn't I?"

"Yeah, and so did I." He said seriously. "Ryoko, I can't say anything more than that. I wish I HAD been here, to help you, and to be perfectly honest, to enjoy making our child with you." She blushed slightly at his words. "But I wasn't, and I'm sorry for it."

He sighed, shaking his head. "Ryoko, I love you." He held a hand up as she tried to stop his words.  
>"I love you with all of my heart and I can't stop, but I can't do more than say I'm sorry for everything I put you and everyone else through." He smiled sadly, offering her his hand. "All I can do is try to do my best to make up for lost time and broken hearts."<p>

Ryoko tentatively put her hand in his, and smiled softly as he closed his fingers around it. "So…you're not mad that I damn near beat you to death?"

Tenchi chuckled softly, smirking. "It's not the first time you tried to kill me, you're just getting better at it." He chuckled as she snatched her hand away, her cheeks flushed. "I'm still kind of upset, but I suppose I deserved it, to a point at least." He shifted again uncomfortably, feeling the serum take hold inside of him, making his body grow warm. "What does this stuff do again?" He asked, holding up his impaled arm.

"It's a regenerative substance. It'll feel a little weird at first, but you'll be back to 100% in an hour or two, "She stood up, stretching again. "So go ahead and get some rest. I'll be back to check on you in a little while." She leaned over him and planted a soft kiss on his forehead before walking through the door.

* * *

><p>Ryoko leaned back against the door as it closed, holding her hand to her mouth, stifling a sob. The man she had almost killed had not only just forgiven her, but admitted he still loved her. <em>I'm as much of a god-damned fool as he is…maybe more. <em> She steadied herself with a deep breath, her hands still trembling as she walked back into Washu's main laboratory.

The size of this place always boggled her. She understood transcendental dimensional pockets well enough; having studied the technology at the academy and also from everyday life with Washu, but the sheer size of the lab always gave her pause. In the distance she spotted a splash of magenta and olive and let her feet lift from the floor as she hovered over to her mother.

"How is he?" Washu asked, not even looking up from the small, white and yellow gadget she had flipped open.

"He's fine, I just administered the massu to him, and he should be up and about within forty, maybe forty-five minutes." She waved away a bit of acrid smoke from Washu's soldering iron. "What are you working on?"

Snapping the device closed with a flourish, the scientist held up the device. "It's an energy conversion matrix dampener!" She grinned, holding it between two fingers. "And it's the solution to the GXP's problem in the 544327-94Θ sector."

Ryoko furrowed her brow, pointing at the two-inch piece of poly-steel and plastic. "This thing is going to keep stars from exploding? How the hell is it going to do that?"

"By stopping it at the source…." She swiveled around on her hovering cushion, pulling up a console. "I didn't have a chance to show this to you, but take a look." She opened the data stream from the GXP sensors. "You've seen this. This is the data-wave pattern from the anomaly, and this…" She opened another window to show Tenchi's energy data, "…is a reading I took from Tenchi the other day."

She merged the files, inverting Tenchi's data so it matched the anomaly stream. Ryoko's eyes widened and she let out a gasp. "T-Tenchi's responsible?" Washu shook her head, letting out a sigh.

"I don't know for sure, but I don't think so. At least not exactly. But it certainly has something to do with him." She held up the device, turning it over so it flashed in the light of the lab. "And this is specifically calibrated to block this particular wavelength of energy. So, either we find out that Tenchi is somehow making clusters of stars self-destruct, or it gives us a clue about what's really happening…"

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><p><em>Thank you all for your wonderful support and I hope you enjoy this most recent chapter of 'A Dream Unrequited' or as I've been thinking of it as, 'All My Tenchi' I mean this has afternoon soap opera all over it. Lover back from the dead, a child lost, hearts broken, and a tragedy in space. Please let me know what you think and keep reading! I'll have more up soon.<em>


	6. What Sights Mine Waking Eyes Have Seen

A Dream Unrequited

Chapter 6

**What Sights Mine Waking Eyes Have Seen**

_All characters, settings and copyrights are property of Pioneer and Funimation, not the author_

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><p><em>Here we are again, with me updating AGES past my intended completion date. I've split chapter 6 into 6 and 7, but don't just jump past them, significant changes have taken place in the story that I think lend a greater dept of feeling and storytelling to this ongoing drama. I hope you enjoy these chapters and keep coming back for more!<em>

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><p>The wall that led to Washu's lab hissed and became transparent, allowing Ayeka to pass through, carrying a covered bowl and cup of tea on a tray before her. She and Ryoko would have to sit down and talk about her actions the night before, preferably over a nice plum wine, but for now she was giving her close friend the benefit of the doubt.<p>

Over their years together vying for the affections of young Tenchi Masaki, the princess and ex-pirate had become more like sisters than rivals. Their catty, often even rather cruel pranks and snide remarks slowly changed from contrived and planned attacks to second nature, and from there to half-hearted jibes that ended with both women smirking. Even from the start their rivalry formed a bond between the two, albeit a tense and tenuous one.

After Tenchi's disappearance and their subsequent return to the lives they once had, the two had more or less fallen out of contact. To her surprise it was Ryoko who had acted first, sending a wave to Ayeka at the Jurai Royal Palace, reminiscing about their old adventures together and even going so far as to end the message by admitting that she missed the 'Royal Pain'.

Her first reaction was one of regal distain, displaying to her subjects and servants that had heard the message that to have been contacted by such a seedy and unseemly individual was below her royal standing. However, within a week and after many private replaying of the message, her own personal feelings of nostalgia and a very surprising desire to see that horrible monster woman again led her to send a brief wave back to Ryoko's humble lodgings on planet Todain.

Once the connection was established, their correspondence became weekly, then every other day. Before long the once bitter rivals were talking for hours each day, meeting from halfway across the galaxy from each-other, vacationing together and rarely being seen out of the other's company.

_Well, as they say, opposites attract…_ She giggled, then paused, blushing and feeling her heart pound at her ribcage for a moment as a horrible thought washed over her _Oh my…doesn't that usually relate to…no, nothing like that… _She sniffed, taking a deep breath to calm herself and straightened her posture, continuing down the corridor to Washu's lab.

She pushed the panel to the side of the medical bay door, causing it to slide open. Washu sat at her desk, tapping away at her shadow console. "Good morning Lady Ayeka," She chirped as her fingers flew over the clicking keys. "Is that for Tenchi?" She asked, not looking up from her console.

"Ah, yes it is. Sasami made a special breakfast for him, I told her he had fallen ill again. I didn't want to make the incident into more than it had to be, you understand." She shrugged and smiled softly, moving closer to the scientist. "How is he doing?"

"Well enough I suppose, what with the quick response and Ryoko's good idea of using the massu infusion to patch him up, he should be back to complete health." She hit a few more keys, then turned in her seat, smiling over at the Juraian princess. "So…bringing him breakfast?" She grinned devilishly. "I thought 'You-stood-no-chance-between-the-two-of-you' reared her head last night?"

The princess flushed hotly, brandishing the tray as a weapon towards the adult-formed scientist. "N-now look, I'm just bringing this to him because I care is all. He's a friend, and I've accepted that he didn't choose me, I really have!"

Turning pointedly back to her console, smirking madly, Washu began typing again. "I'm certain of that, my dear Ayeka."

The princess resolved herself, straightening her posture and nodding to the scientist. "Very well, I'll just take Tenchi his breakfast then, shall I?" She strode haughtily past the buxom genius, the paused, turning back and quirking an eyebrow. "Miss Washu, if I may, what are you working on?"

A Cheshire grin spread across her face. "Keeping track of brownie points." She smirked as the regal woman made a face at her and stormed off, leaving the universe's most famous scientist to almost fall from her cushion in a giggling fit.

* * *

><p>"Honestly, it almost seems like that Washu says those kinds of things <em>just<em> to get me upset. Hmm, maybe next time she takes a jab at me her next shipment of Tribidium-H will wind up being a few days late…" She chuckled to herself, knowing firsthand the power her position in the trade houses held. She was still giggling at how clever she could be sometimes when she reached the door to Tenchi's room.

She raised a hand to knock on the door and then paused, hearing something from inside the room. She balanced the tray on one hand, leaning in close and putting her ear to the plexi-steel surface. She heard Tenchi grunt loudly and heard a thud, making her breath catch in her throat. _Ryoko wouldn't…not after last night…!_

Ayeka quickly tapped the release to the side of the door, causing it to hiss open as she rushed in. "T-Tenchi?" She cried and then stopped short, her cheeks growing hot.

Grunting, Tenchi was stripped to the waist, his muscles glistening with sweat as he thrust himself up from one arm to the other, his feet spread as he bounced and caught himself with each grunt. "Oh…hah-hah…Miss Ayeka…hah-hah…" Tenchi managed between one-armed pushups. "G-good morning!" He smiled up at her briefly then grunted again and gritted his teeth as his sweat dripped to the soft-tiled floor.

Trying to catch her own breath and still the pounding in her chest, Ayeka set the tray down on a side-table, her eyes never leaving his glistening form. "A-ah…y-yes, good morning Tenchi." She swallowed hard, cursing inwardly as she bit her lip and forced herself looked away from him. "S-Sasami made you a lovely breakfast, in case you're hungry…" She pulled the lid from the bowl, letting steam billow up and a glorious smell waft into the enclosed space.

"Starving, actually." Tenchi smiled, pulling himself up to his feet and taking a small towel from the smooth-formed dresser next to him to dry some of the sweat from his body. "Thank you very much Miss Ayeka." He walked over to where she stood, tossing the towel to hang over his broad shoulders as he picked up the bowl and brought the miso-broth to his lips and taking a sip.

Ayeka swallowed again, her face flushed hotly as her eyes were drawn back to his muscular form, following the curve of his back and up his arm, watching him drink the steaming broth. "S-so, you are feeling better then?" She held a hand to her chest, trying to stop the pounding of her heart and calm the heat in her body.

Tenchi let out a loud breath and nodded happily as he wiped his mouth with the towel. "Loads better, thank you." He let out a sigh then, his face falling. "So, you know what happened then, hmm?" He let out a sigh as she nodded, shaking his head. "She…she just lost control." He took another sip of the broth, swallowing and looking away. "I hope you won't blame her too harshly."

She pursed her lips, crossing her arms as she regarded him then. "I can't say I feel she was justified in what she did, but I can't exactly blame her…It seems you dug up some rather deep memories last night." The Juraian princess let out a sigh and shook her head. "I remember holding her as she cried for your child." Her face suddenly grew cold and serious as she looked him over. "Tenchi, we've all gone through so much for you."

"I know…" Tenchi said as he swirled his broth in its bowl. "I want to try to make things right." He tilted the bowl up, finishing his broth and letting out a heavy breath. "I don't know if it makes a difference, but I want to say I'm sorry, for what happened to you and Sasami aboard that space ship." He turned to her, offering her a sad smile. "Is it meaningless to apologize?"

Taken aback, Ayeka returned his smile, shaking her head slowly. "Never…" She stepped forward, embracing him in a gentle hug, her head resting under his chin as he held her close, his cheek pressed against her indigo hair.

"T-Tenchi?"She said as she held him close, squeezing slightly. "Do…do you think we could ever…? I know how you feel for Ryoko…but with your return, I can't help but wonder if..?" She felt her cheeks grow warm again as she pulled back, looking up at him.

"Ayeka…I know what you mean…and I'm sorry, but I don't think it could work." He held her at arms length, smiling sadly. "Noike, she said the same thing. That this could be a new start, fate saying that this was our time together…but I never forgot how I felt after all these years, and I did nothing but grow old and unhappy within my own mind for the past decade and a half." He shook his head as his smile faded. "I can't hide how I feel, no matter the situation."

Slowly she nodded and stepped back from his touch. "I think I know how you feel. Even now, though I do care about you, and after so many years I still have love for Yosho in my heart." She looked up at him, her eyes shining. "So I can accept that, Lord Tenchi." She leaned up and placed a friendly kiss on his cheek, her own glowing brightly as she forced herself to stay calm.

He chuckled and scratched the back of his head, his cheeks flushed from her kiss and a warm smile coming to his face. "You don't have to call me that anymore you know." He turned and reached for his clothes, shrugging his undershirt on over his head. "I'm not in line for succession anymore, no matter what my blood says."

The princess turned towards the door walking over and opening it with a touch. "I don't call you that because of your heritage, Lord Tenchi. I do so out of respect for your skills and because of the property you own." She smiled knowingly over her shoulder at him as she regarded his confused expression. "You'll always be a Lord to me, Lord Tenchi…at least in here." She tapped her breast and smiled sweetly at him as she strode from the room, her head held high leaving him to stand blushing furiously in his slacks and sleeveless shirt.

* * *

><p>Once he was dressed, Tenchi exited his room and walked through Washu's lab. "Good morning Miss Washu…" He paused as the scientist blurred, shifting from her now regular adult form to her diminutive one, glaring at him.<p>

"Er…I mean, Washu-Chan…" He finished lamely, scratching the back of his head.

The scientists young, round face split into a wide grin as she blurred again, re-assuming her adult form. "Thank you Tenchi, it always make my day to hear you call me that." She stood from her floating cushion, walked over to him and slapped him on the back of the neck in one swift motion.

"AH! Hey, what the…" He reared back, grunting and reaching for his neck as he felt a sharp pain just at the base of his skull. "What did you do?" He closed his hand over the white and yellow device, wincing as he felt it adhere to his skin, pinching against his flesh.

"Don't touch it!" Washu cried, reaching out. He stopped, his eyes wide. "It's a performance enhancing implant that will help you deal with your first day of…I mean, excel at the trials the GXP will be putting you through." She recovered with a smile.

Reluctantly Tenchi pulled his hand away, feeling a tickle of irritation at the petite scientists obvious lack of interest in his feelings on the matter. He paused, shaking his head, his brow furrowing. _What am I thinking? _He shook his head again, letting out a sigh and smiling at Washu. "So…I'm off then, okay?" He nodded to Washu, heading for the wall, then paused and turned back. "Um, can you please let Ryoko know…"

"I'll talk to her." Washu said, sitting back down at her console and beginning to type at her keyboard again. With a soft smile, Tenchi nodded and exited the lab, leaving Washu to pour over her console. As she heard the wall phase back into tangibility she let out a harsh breath, putting a hand to her chest, trying to calm her pounding heart as she stared hard at the monitor.

The Energy Conversion Matrix Dampener, or ECMD, was feeding data directly back to her servers in real-time. Currently her shadow-screen was displaying a wildly scrolling line-graph of energy readings, the dipping and spiking line striking against the maximum value like a wild animal fighting its first cage.

* * *

><p>Tenchi entered the vehicle bay, seeing Ayeka and Sasami's hovercraft already missing. He saw a shining, new vehicle against one wall of the bay, a light greenish-blue with white accents. He reached out to touch it and heard a soft hiss as the door slid open. <em>I guess this is supposed to be for me…<em> He looked inside, prepared to be daunted by the array of controls and dials.

Much to his surprise, the only things on the molded dashboard were a split-handled steering wheel and a silvery lever set into a console next to the driver's seat. A small monitor was set into the center console with a couple of knobs and buttons below it.

He tentatively slipped into the driver's seat, and closed the door behind himself and buckling in. He placed his hands on the steering wheel and jumped as he felt the hovercraft come to life at his touch, lifting from the ground a few inches. The sliding door at one end of the garage opened and let in the brilliant morning sunlight, making him squint as he nervously squeezed the steering wheel.

"Oh-kay…I _THINK_ I remember how they did this…" He moved one hand to the throttle and pushed it gently towards the console, then let out a yelp as the vehicle shot forward, pushing him back into his seat as he gripped the steering wheel with knuckles turned white.

Turning the wheel back and forth, Tenchi screamed loudly as he barely missed other drivers in the air, finally wrenching his wheel to point the vehicle up towards the floating GXP headquarters hanging in low orbit. He clenched his teeth and held tight to the steering wheel as he fought against his trembling, inwardly cursing Washu and the others for not teaching him properly how to use one of these things, then cursing himself for not paying better attention to their own actions.

As the GXP headquarters came into view, Tenchi moved a hand away from the wheel, searching for a pedal, or a lever or something then moved his hand back and gripped the wheel again as his eyes grew wide. "God-damn it, where's the BRAKE on this thing?" He cried, closing his eyes tightly as he wrenched the steering wheel towards the landing bay of the floating station.

* * *

><p>"Hey Akamatsu, how's it going?" A tall, cat-eared member of the GXP waved to another dark-skinned one, grinning. "How was your date last night?"<p>

The dark-skinned member chuckled and shook his head and smirked. "Total bust, Ryose. I mean, I pay for dinner, I paid for the movie, and we go back to her place and what do I get?" He scoffed, running a hand through his short-cropped black hair. "I get a kiss on the cheek. Sheesh, I thought these city girls were supposed to know how to treat a guy."

The cat eared man clicked his tongue, throwing his arm over Akamatsu's shoulder. "Aww, tough luck man. Next time, huh?" He grinned, pulling back and punching his arm playfully. "Grab a drink tonight?"

The dark-skinned man nodded, smiling. "Sure thing, I could use…..WAH!" The two men flew forwards as Tenchi's hovercraft punched through the plexi-steel gate behind them and slammed into the landing bay with the terrible sound of screaming metal and the whining of his engines. His shuttle plowed into the floor and scraped along, knocking into other ships as the officers scattered. As the vehicle slowly spun to a stop against the far wall, sputtering and dying, Tenchi tried to stop the rushing in his ears and unbuckle himself.

_What the hell is wrong with these people? I can't even drive a regular car and they expect me to fly a hovercraft? _ He held his spinning head, groaning as he slowly climbed out of the vehicle. He stood shakily against the side of his shuttle and surveyed the damage he had done. A gaping hole was torn open in the retracting door of the landing bay and the plated floor was furrowed with a twisting line from his bouncing and skidding ship. Several other officially marked vehicles were thrown askew from his passing, bearing dents and scratch marks from his impact.

With a groan, he let his head hang and smacked his hand to his forehead. He heard the angry grumbling of the GXP members inside the landing bay start to grow louder as they advanced on him. Tenchi looked up and saw them coming closer faces pulled tight and teeth bared.

"STAND DOWN YOU DOGS!" A harsh voice echoed out through the landing bay, leaving silence in its wake. Hesitantly Tenchi looked up to see a figure standing back-lit in a doorway behind him. The figure advanced, their boots heels clicking on the paneled floor. He saw the mob of angry officers suddenly straighten up into ranks and salute their faces suddenly changed to masks of terrified respect.

Slowly he turned to see who was coming down the walkway towards him. Through the rows of rigid officers he saw a tall, shapely woman walking towards him dressed in high-military fashion. Her shined boots reached her knees and her dark blue slacks hugged her body tightly, a double-breasted vest with metallic accents covered a white shirt, the tails of the vest brushing to the tops of her thighs as she walked. An elaborately detailed jacket with a wide collar was tossed onto her shoulders, the empty sleeves flapping behind her like a cape as she advanced.

Her arms were free under the jacket and her hands were lost inside of a pair of huge, mechanical gauntlets, seeming to have been taken from some sort of fighting robot. She idly swung a glowing sabre from one of her mechanically-gloved hands, the curved blade crackling as it passed through the air. A crush cap pulled down low hid her face in shadows as she slowed to a stop in front of Tenchi. She slowly lifted her head and glared at him with glistening magenta eyes.

Letting out a tense sigh, he chuckled softly. "Oh…Sasami-chan, I…" He jumped and let out a yelp as the teal haired princess drove her sabre past his ear and into the car behind him, the energy blade sizzling with power as she leaned in and growled at him.

"Boy, you will call me nothing but Grand Marshall, do you understand me?" She pushed a finger of her heavy robotic glove under his chin and tilted his head back, glaring up at him. "Sound off!"

"Hoo-Rah!" The echoing cry came back from the ranked officers.

"Boy, I can't hear you! I said SOUND OFF!" She snarled, taking Tenchi's face between two thick, robotic fingers making him look at her.

"Hoo-Rah!" The officers shouted.

"H-hoo-Rah…?" Tenchi managed to croak out.

"Pathetic! It's a start though." She pushed him back against the car with ease, pulling out her sabre and sheathing it. "Atten-HUT!" She barked, making the men stamp their feet and redouble their salute. Hastily Tenchi mimicked them, receiving a blow to the head from Sasami's scabbard. "Feet together, back straight! Keep that elbow up you sorry sack!"

His jaw trembling with fear and an uncharacteristic embarrassed anger, Tenchi tried to straighten up and follow the orders he was given. "Better recruit. We've got a long way to go though." She turned and regarded her men. "Clear off, the lot of you! You all got jobs, go do 'em!"

"Yes Sir Grand Marshall, Sir!" Came the unified reply, the officers hustling to take their shuttles to be repaired, others scrambling to get to their offices and avoid the terrifying princess's wrath.

Turning back to Tenchi she grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him in close. "As for you, once we get you kitted up and registered, you _will_ be repairing my beloved landing bay, is this clear?"

"Y-yes Grand Marshall…sir." He replied weakly, trying to smile through his knee-shaking fear.

"Good, and then…" She regarded his wrecked shuttle. "Then it's the simulator for you." She dropped him and looked around, seeing that they were alone. Her gruff demeanor dropped and she grinned at him. "And then, you can come have lunch with me. I made something special for you."

Tenchi let out a harsh breath, panting and holding his chest. "Geez Sasami, you scared the life out of me." He chuckled then and smiled down at her, faltering as he saw her serious stare.

She flashed him a dangerous, toothy smile and pulled her cap down to cover one eye. "Get used to it boy, you're part of the Perimeter Defense Sector now."

* * *

><p>Sasami shoved Tenchi into a spare locker-room, tossing a GXP-PDS uniform at him, catching him in the face as he stumbled. He stood in front of her, the dark blue and white shirt hanging off of his head as he held the pants and boots in his arms. "Get changed officer." She ordered, leaning back against the lockers.<p>

His eyes darted around for someplace to go and change then chuckled awkwardly as he saw none. "Um…are, are you going to stay here or…?"

She narrowed her eyes and quirked an eyebrow up. "Get. Changed." Her tone was serious and he realized it would be too risky to hesitate further. He stripped and changed as quickly as he could, trying to hide himself as much as possible despite her intent, if even admiring gaze. As he jerked his pants on, buttoning them up he thought he heard a little disappointed sound coming from where she stood, making him turn away as he blushed furiously.

She laughed, swinging her scabbard to smack his rear, making him jump and stumble as he tried to tug on his boots. "What, surprised?" She smirked, her cheeks flushing slightly. "I am a woman now after all." She sniffed derisively and shrugged. "Besides, it's my duty to verify that each member of the PDS is fit and ready for duty."

"Do you have to do it personally?" He asked sarcastically.

"Well, no. Not really." She smirked as he hung his head with a heavy sigh.

She turned and walked from the locker room letting the door swing behind her. "Landing bay, fifteen minutes. Talk to Smitty, he'll help you fix the door and the floor, then you're going to do ten hours of sim training, driving first and then some combat." She clicked her tongue and smirked. "Hell of a way to start your first day, Tenchi."

He hung his head and sighed, slipping into the uniform, relieved to see that under all her serious demeanor and gruff words she was still Sasami. _More or less…_ He idly rubbed the spot on his rump where she had swatted him. _She sure has changed a lot though, I guess she did grow up...probably learned a lot from Ryoko too…_ He pulled the dark-blue utility jacket on over his head, waiting for it to finish adjusting to his body.

He felt a tickling just behind his eyes and felt his brow furrow involuntarily. _She didn't have to be so mean about this morning though…_He grumbled inside his head. _It's not like I've even driven before…what did you expect?_ He huffed and tugged on his gloves, trying to calm himself.

He checked himself in the mirror, admiring the cut of the uniform. Dark blue with white, overlapping lines coming from the back to meet in the front at the hemline, they almost looked like feathers the way they were curved and tapered at the tips. _Just like the light-hawk wings…_ He thought and felt a little shiver run up his spine to spread across his skull, feeling the device at the back of his neck pinch again.

He hissed his breath in through his teeth and reached back to take it off, but stopped with a sigh, remembering what Washu said. Snapping his uniform tight and smoothing it down, he pushed his belongings into one of the free lockers and walked out into the landing bay.

* * *

><p>Smitty turned out to be a greying mechanic with pointed ears and a greasy coverall version of the PDS uniform. He started handing Tenchi tools and pointing for him to get going, the whole while grumbling mercilessly about how the rookie had screwed up now, oh boy was he in the cacky and oh her honor wasn't gonna be happy about this. Tenchi felt his eye twitch and had to force himself not to wallop the old man with a wrench.<p>

After an hour or two had passed, the men had managed to patch the hole in the landing bay doors, fusing it back together with an odd sort of laser that melded the plexi-steel back together seamlessly. With this done they began work on the floor, levering the panels up and running the same device over them, the bio-organic steel running together like wax to fill the grooves. Within a matter of hours the damage done by Tenchi was completely repair by the two of them.

Well, it _could_ be said that the two of them fixed it. Smitty was more the managerial type. Despite his frustration, Tenchi found himself enjoying the old man's gruff demeanor and straight forward manner of speech. By the time Sasami came to shove Tenchi off to the Simulation Chamber the two were trading insults back and forth and laughing together. "On your feet, officer." She said, smirking as Smitty stood up straight and snapped a salute before slumping back down to his usual hunched posture.

Tenchi even managed to snap to attention better than his previous attempt. The Grand Marshall had no smiles for her new recruit. "Boy, take your ass to the Sim-Cham. It's down the hall on your right. Chyote will fix you up." She snapped him a salute and regarded him with a cold expression. "Dismissed."

* * *

><p>The Simulation Chamber proved to be quite a bit more difficult. Chyote, the technician in charge, was a young woman who had sadly been in a debilitating fire. The left half of her body had been burned beyond medical healing, resulting in most of her body being replaced by cybernetic parts, almost becoming more machine than human. However this didn't stop her from managing to look embarrassed for Tenchi when he finally took off in the simulated shuttle without crashing. This was his twelfth try.<p>

However, by the end of their third hour together Tenchi managed to chase down and block off a runaway shuttle, capturing the criminal within. Chyote clapped a robotic hand on his shoulder, smiling warmly at him. "Congratulations, Tenchi-San." She intoned with an electronic tinge to her voice.

"Yes, very good." Grand Marshall Masaki said, her arms crossed as she stood against the grid-lined wall of the Sim-Cham. Swallowing hard, Tenchi looked back to see the teal haired Marshall regarding him stern glare. "Come with me recruit, it's lunch." Without another word she strode from the room, leaving Chyote to shrug at the man and nod for him to follow her.

Tenchi trotted to catch up with Sasami, only to be stopped by her scabbard as she continued walking. "Two paces back." She said simply as they walked past other officers, the ones ahead either snapping to attention or scrambling to get out of her way. Those who saw Tenchi walking behind her shook their heads sadly, knowing they were seeing a dead man.

* * *

><p><em>As always, if you have any thoughts, questions, or just something you want to say about the story, don't hesitate to hit the review button or drop me a PM! Thanks for reading and all of your wonderful support!<em>


	7. Sleep, The Twin of Death

A Dream Unrequited

Chapter 7

**Sleep, the twin of death**

_All characters, settings and copyrights are property of Pioneer and Funimation, not the author_

* * *

><p>Grand Marshall of the GXP special division Perimeter Defense Sector Sasami Jurai-Masaki opened the door to her office, leaving it open for Tenchi to follow her inside. She stood near her desk and shot him a cold stare, nodding to the control panel to the side of the door. He took a glance around out in the hallway before ducking inside and closing the door with a hiss.<p>

Sasami pulled off her hat and tossed it onto the table, her teal hair bouncing free. "Oh Tenchi, you're doing so well!" She squeaked, bouncing over to him and hugging him tightly. "I'm really looking forward to seeing your combat sim results." She smirked up at him, then stepped back and looked himup and down. "The uniform suits you well."

"Ah…um, thanks." He stammered, his cheeks warming slightly as he scratched the back of his head, still unaccustomed to her forward demeanor and a bit perplexed by her sudden change in mood.

She retreated behind her desk, opening a drawer in the side of her desk and pulling out a handkerchief wrapped package. She smirked as she unwrapped it to reveal a pair of ceramic boxes, setting one on the far side of her desk and pulling the other to sit before herself. "Come on, sit down. You must be starving." She smiled, gesturing to one of the chairs in front of her desk.

He sat down tentatively, still wondering if she might switch suddenly to her terrifying militant personality. "I wanted to thank you…" He said as he settled into the leather chair and slid it closer to her desk so he could reach the ceramic bento. "For this opportunity I mean." He smiled at her, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "I wanted to do something for the family to help out and now I'm helping the whole world I guess."

Sasami paused, her tempura-laden chopsticks halfway to her mouth. She cleared her throat, and replaced her food before setting down her chopsticks. "Not yet you're not." She steepled her fingers before her and let out a sigh. "You've got potential, no doubt about that. But the PDS are the best the GXP have to offer, and you've got a while to go yet I think." She smiled warmly then, shrugging her shoulders and leaned back in her chair. "But, I've got a good feeling about this. You've proven your prowess in the past, but there's something different about you now. Something in you now that I didn't see back then."

Tenchi smiled softly, not knowing quite what she meant, but letting it slide as his stomach rumbled demandingly. He opened his bento and sighed in pleasure as crisp golden tempura, delicately seared steak and sautéed vegetables greeted him atop a bed of rice. He dug into the box with fervor, eating as though this was the last meal on earth. Sasami smiled warmly, all her gruff demeanor fading as her cheeks flushed from his obvious enjoyment of her lovingly prepared food.

* * *

><p>After lunch, the Grand Marshall escorted Tenchi back to the Simulation Chamber, ordering Chyote to initiate the combat training module. As the grid-lined walls began to shift and change, Sasami exited the room and entered the small viewing alcove down the hall.<p>

The blank walls had changed to resemble a thick jungle, vines hanging down from steaming tree-tops. Tenchi stood in the center of the room with a hard-light rifle in his hands, checking its action as he waited for the scenario to start.

The shrubbery off to the side began to shake and a green-skinned man leapt out, a crudely carved bone knife in one hand. He let out a shriek as he dove for Tenchi, but found the butt of his rifle instead. As another dropped from the treetops, Tenchi brought the rifle to his shoulder, but hesitated in pulling the trigger and received a nasty cut across his arm as a reward. Wincing, he used his fire-arm as a bludgeon, cracking the savage's head back at an awkward angle.

Tenchi disabled five more holograms this way, making Sasami smirk at his physical skill. _He doesn't want to kill… I suppose that's fine, but he needs to learn. _She sighed, watching another sage-colored alien tackle the young man before being thrown off and kicked to the side. _Perhaps he really is that out of practice…I'll have to help him remember, let's try this on for size…_

Grand Marshall Sasami pushed a button on the control panel before her then waited as a crackle of static emitted from the inset speaker, Chyote's vaguely electronic voice echoing slightly in the alcove as she responded. "Yes, Grand Marshall?"

"Initiate training simulation 17442." She spoke crisply into the microphone that snaked up from the panel.

"Roger that, Grand Marshall, Sir." Came the reply and with a ripple of light the fetid jungle changed into a rice-paper lined dojo. Tenchi stood on a small bamboo matted platform, surrounded on all sides by a seemingly bottomless trench, easily a dozen feet wide and filled with slender wooden columns. Along the outside wall a three foot ledge bordered the trench, on which stood half a dozen berobed figures.

Tenchi found himself inside the small square of straw-matted flooring, his rifle missing from his hands. He clenched his fists as he saw the first of the robed figures leap over the gaping expanse with ease to land lightly before him. He took and instinctive step back, his heel edging the lip of the platform. Gritting his teeth, Tenchi tried to remember his training from all those years ago, lowering his center of gravity and presenting as little of himself as he could to this new enemy.

With practiced ease, the enrobed figure strode forward, and barely twitched its long roughly woven brown robe aside. With a painful thud, Tenchi found himself on the floor with the right side of his jaw ablaze with pain, the monk-like figure standing stock still with its leg still high in the air.

With a grunt Tenchi pushed himself to his knees and stood, rolling his shoulders as he loosened up. As the figure before him blurred again, he let the instincts drilled into him by his grandfather take over and winced as he felt another powerful kick smash against his upraised, blocking arm.

In response the brown robed figure swing its fists towards him, leading with the right and swinging a feint attack with the left. Feeling like a fool, Tenchi caught the right in his hands, skidding back slightly from the force of it and caught the left directly in his ribs, the powerful blow sending him off of the platform entirely.

With a last-ditch effort, Tenchi caught the edge of one of the wooden columns and gritted his teeth as he pulled himself up onto the slender surface, reeling as he tried to maintain his balance. As lightly as a feather, the brown robed figure lighted onto an adjacent pillar, taking a one-legged fighting stance.

Pulling a face, Tenchi scraped and pulled back through his memories of his youth, finding his center as he balanced on the pole, slipping somewhat rustily into the kantas of the Juraian swordplay stance. The surrounding figures reacted almost immediately, two of the hooded assailants leaping from their perches on either side of the arena. The pair nimbly landed onto the thin wooden poles on either side of the Tenchi, their brown robes settling as they waited.

Furrowing his brow, Tenchi took a long, slow breath and tried to make his body remember. Years of training had honed his muscles, tempered his skill and quickened his reaction times to fractions of a second, but his imprisonment and lax lifestyle had stripped much of that away. Shaking his head he exhaled and calmed his thoughts.

He let his eyelids close and imagined a placid pond, mirror-like and serene. He felt his ears prick at the slight sound of shifting fabric and saw the pond ripple slightly as a jolt of light flashed behind his eyes. He felt an impact reverberate through his body and opened his eyes to see the robed figure perched before him, fighting to maintain balance as Tenchi's fingers tightened their grip just behind its ankle.

With a slight smirk Tenchi pushed the unbalanced monk aside to fall into the pole-filled trench, swiveling on his own wooden stand to intercept a palm strike from the other attacking figure. They exchanged blows for a moment, blocking punches and kicks as they hopped from one pole to another, Tenchi feeling his body becoming lighter and more fluid as his years of training began to awake from their fifteen year slumber.

With a leap Tenchi landed on an adjacent pole, vaulting off of it with his hands and turning mid-air to catch his heel across the monk's back, sending it flying. He only had a moment to revel in his victory before having to scramble and catch the lip of the main platform to keep from falling into that endless dark.

With barely a grunt he pulled himself up and over the edge, blinking momentarily as he stood, looking at his hands with a sense of confusion. Another electric flash arced behind his eyes and he glanced around the room, watching as the last three figures hopped from one pole to another, advancing on him as they crossed one another's path in an attempt to confuse him.

He slid effortlessly into a fighting stance, feeling his muscles sing with tensed strength as the first of the monks landed in front of him. In a blur of motion the robed figure struck out with a flurry of blows but finding Tenchi unerringly out of the way of each, the young man twisting out of each strike before it could contact. Slipping under the figure's guard Tenchi's arm tensed like a coiled spring and lashed out, connecting with the monk's midsection and sending it flying from the platform crumpled awkwardly.

Tenchi felt his body burn from within with power, his nerves alive with a searing strength that he had never felt before. As he watched the others advance the world seemed to slow, the monks floating towards him with their fists raised to attack. In a burst of terrifying speed Tenchi shot forward, catching one of the monks out of the air, curling his fingers in the rough spun cloth of its robe and planting his feet. He felt his muscles swell and he gritted his teeth as he hauled to one side sending the grappled attacker into its partner, both of the robed members flying into the sea of poles and breaking several, the report of splintering wood filling the still, dry air of the simulated dojo.

Letting out a slow, shuddering breath, Tenchi chuckled and flexed his hands, marveling at his newfound strength. He felt his wrist itching and pulled his uniform sleeve up, his eyes growing wide as he saw the gemstone at his wrist burning brightly through his skin. _Of course…Part of Ryoko's power… her strength and speed…_

Grand Marshall Masaki grinned wide, her pride in the young man overflowing her carefully manicured demeanor. She felt her cheeks flush slightly as she regarded the powerful man her youthful crush had become. Shaking her head and clearing her throat she regained her composure and pushed the button to the side of her. "Officer Chyote, load and initiate urban sim 05227."

"Yes Sir." The reply crackled back and the lacquered wood and rice paper of the dojo blurred and changed to a sprawling cityscape. Massive buildings of steel, glass and concrete towered above the cracked asphalt, all in various states of ruin. The streets were strewn with rubble and trash, multiple fires burned out of control, spreading thick smoke through the air. Tenchi found himself in a mass of other officers, a pistol at his hip and riot-gear on over his uniform.

"Here they come…" One of the un-named officers intoned, peering down through a pair of binoculars, twisting a knob on the side of the futuristic looking device.

"Get ready!" Another said, bringing up his transparent shield and bracing himself against the barricade.

Tenchi focused and brought his own shield up as a swarm of rioters made their way down the street towards them. One of the leading rioters dashed forward and lobbed a molotov at the bundle of officers to the hoots and cheers of the other rioters. Tenchi and his band of agents raised their shields to block the burning projectile just as the bottle burst against one, splashing flaming oil onto the crew in a shower of orange and red.

Tenchi winced as a burning stream found its way past his shield and splashed onto his arm. He patted out the fire and pulled a smoke grenade from his belt, pulling the pin and lobbing it back at the rioters. As it spun and hissed out grey smoke he turned to one of the officers. "What do we do?" He asked, keeping his shield towards the rioters.

"We're still waiting on orders, for now we're just trying to slow them down." He winced and stumbled back as he saw a crimson blast ricochet off of Tenchi's shield. "Christ, they're shooting at us?" He cried out and crouched down, put a finger to his ear and began speaking fast, relaying information to HQ.

Flexing his fingers to get life back into them, Tenchi hunkered down behind his shield and braced himself as more shots fired out from the smoke, the jeers of the rioting people growing louder. "WHAT?" The officer talking to HQ asked and then paused, nodding. "I understand. Yes, Sir."

He swallowed hard and looked up, his face pale. "It has been decided to treat this as a political coup, not just a riot." He brought up his handgun and released the safety. "We are ordered to use deadly force." Shaking his head, he stood from his crouch and aimed past his own transparent shield.

As the rebels cleared the smoke, Tenchi gasped to see that not only were they outnumbered easily five to one, but that they had somehow gotten their hands on military grade weapons and no less than two walking suits that bristled with guns. With a cry one of the leaders of the rebels pumped his rifle in the air and charged, the rest of his group falling in behind him.

Tenchi stood frozen for a moment but regained himself and braced himself as well, aiming past his shield as his companions did the same, quickly forming a retaining wall of officers. "On my mark…" The leading officer said over the cries of the rebel forces. "Two…one…mark."

A dozen beams of light streaked from the line of men, finding their targets as the rebels fell in lines. The first few shots were synched, but grew sporadic as the men found targets of opportunity. Tenchi pulled his trigger again and again, feeling the pistol kick in his hand as he aimed down the sights. He had killed before, but not like this. This was something different altogether.

He felt his eyes prick and his vision blurred for a moment as he saw yet another rebel fall to his gun, the thought of killing another person, even a simulated one, making his heart ache. And yet, slowly, he felt a satisfied smile cross his face. Faster and faster he started pulling the trigger, flexing his arm and holding the gun still as he fired, completely absorbing the kickback. His vision tightened and seemed to follow along the ridged path to the bead at the end of the gun, watching as it flared and made another man fall.

Sasami paused, looking closely at Tenchi through the video display in the alcove above. His aim was perfect, his stance relaxed and his shots evenly spaced, but something seemed off about it. _What is he doing? _She shook her head, feeling her unease grow like a stone in her stomach. She rotated the camera view and gasped as she saw his face. A mad grin was spread across his face and his eyes were wide and wild, his usually brown irises shining a brilliant gold.

She saw the ranks of rebels advance on the holographic officer's position and saw Tenchi blast one that managed to get close. However, another man was directly behind the first and leapt over the fallen fighter, brandishing a blade.

"Tenchi!" She cried out despite herself, knowing the Sim-Cham was completely harmless with the safeties on. Her eyes slowly widened as she watched Tenchi's reaction, he dropped his riot shield and lifted his free arm and stopped the advancing blade in thin air. The air against the blade flickered and a broad beamsword flashed to life.

Grinning like some kind of a madman he pushed the rebel away and waded into their ranks, leaving his team-mates to their fate as he cut a swath through the enemy. Beamsword and pistol flashed in unison as he sliced and shot down anyone who came near, moving through the bodies towards the walking-suits.

The mechas stood fifteen feet tall, more or less giant metal exoskeletons with guns. Tenchi felt his heart pounding in his chest and his hair stand on end as though he was electrified, such a rush as this he had never felt before, not against those monks, not when he was training, not even when he fought using the light hawk wings. In another few strides he was up against the mecha, brandishing his gleaming beamsword and aiming his pistol up at the pilot. With a smirk the punk piloting the mecha turned its own gun towards him, pulling the trigger and firing, the massive shell pounding a crater into the asphalt patch where he stood, fire and shards of blacktop exploding outward.

Sasami watched in horror and awe as Tenchi leapt onto the gun as it fired, the blast casting his face into shadows as he ran up the metal arm to leap onto the plexi-glass cockpit to drive his beamsword in and through it, impaling the pilot on the burning blade of energy. He flexed his arm, supporting himself on its shimmering light as the mohawked pilot shuddered in breath and choked up a mouthful of blood, glaring down at Tenchi with pain and anger in his eyes. With a grin, Tenchi drew his pistol on the pilot and aimed down the irons. Sasami watched him pull the trigger until the gun clicked dry, a tear rolling down her cheek as she watched an expression of ecstasy wash across his face.

He leapt down as the mecha fell with a ground-shaking impact, and rushed forward over the bodies of the fallen rioters towards the remaining walking suit. He slipped between its legs and swung his blade in a wide arc, cutting through the reinforced steel skin of the mecha with ease, leaving gaping red-hot scars just below its actuated knees. With the screech of tortured metal, the legs bowed out from under the other mecha, causing it to fall cockpit first onto the war-torn asphalt.

With a leap and a howling laugh Tenchi landed on the back of the crippled walking suit and slammed both of his fists into it, making the cockpit shatter and embed itself into the cracked blacktop. Standing and panting happily in the center of the destruction, Tenchi let out a wild hoot and started to laugh, his arms spread wide. "MORE!" He cried, his head tossed back as he reveled in the horror he had wrought. "Is this the best you've got?"

The sound of boots on the asphalt made his ears prick and he grinned slowly, his eyes tightening down to eager slits as he waited for the sound to draw closer. He felt his hairs standing on edge with excitement as the steps grew closer, finally almost right behind him. With a cry he spun and dashed forward over the broken bodies and ruined street, whipping his beamsword up at the unseen attacker, slashing right for their middle.

A brilliant flash and the crackle of energy made him grit his teeth and squint, lifting a hand to shade his eyes. When he opened them again, he saw a blue-green blade pressed against his own, sizzling with energy. He looked up and saw Sasami standing before him, her face cold and serious but her magenta eyes pleading. "Officer Masaki…you will stand down."

His eyes went wide and his heart slowed as he realized what he had done. He looked around, seeing the bodies lying strewn across the open street, his team slaughtered by the rebels and his riot gear ruined. He looked back at her and swallowed, his eyes shifting back to their usual brown. "I…I'm sorry."He let go of his blade, letting it phase out and watched as she calmly sheathed her own blade.

In a shimmer of light the room changed back into the white-walled Sim-Cham and with a heavy heart he allowed Sasami to guide him out of the room past a stunned Chyote.

* * *

><p>"What got into you?" Sasami asked as she drove him back to their penthouse. "You were like some kind of animal in there…"<p>

He shook his head, still stunned by his actions. "I don't know…I mean, one second I'm working with the program to disperse the crowd, the next thing I know I feel just…ALIVE with power, and I…Gods, I know it's just a program, but I…" He shook his head and looked away from her. "I killed those people." He sighed and bit his knuckle gently as he looked out the window.

Sasami shrugged, sighing. "You've been through a lot in the past few days, maybe it was all just too much too soon." She chuckled some, punching him lightly on the shoulder. "Plus I was kind of hard on you for your first day." She smirked, holding the wheel again. "BUT, you did wreck my landing bay. So I thought you deserved it."

He made a face at her. "Well you guys decided to make me drive myself and I've never piloted one of these things before." He snapped back, a little more harshly than he'd intended.

She furrowed her brow at him, but let his insubordinate tone slide. "That's why you use the autopilot." She let go of the steering wheel and opened the console in the center. "Don't you men ever read the instructions to _anything_?" She tossed a thin book into his lap with a sigh.

"Auto-pilot?" He asked, flipping through the booklet.

"Yes…" she sighed,irritated. "See, watch." She pushed a button on the console, making the screen light up with an animated character.

"Good evening, Grand Marshall. What is your destination this evening?"

"Home, please." She nodded to the creature and the steering wheel let out a hiss of hydraulics as it collapsed in on itself to settle against the dashboard. She pointedly looked at Tenchi and gestured to the screen.

"You see? It's that easy." She scoffed, shaking her head. "Honestly, sometimes you can be so dense."

Tenchi felt another flare of anger swell up, but quelled it and bit his lip. _What is up with me today? _He asked himself with a sigh, watching the city pull away beneath them.

* * *

><p>"We're home!" Sasami called as she and Tenchi walked into the living room, seeing Ryo-Ohki sitting on the couch with a controller in her brown furred hands, her tongue sticking out of her mouth in concentration. "Where is everyone? What happened with dinner?"<p>

"It's Ryoko's night for dinner." Ryo-Ohki said, flicking her ear. "She got take out." The teen jerked to the side, hitting buttons madly on the controller, piloting the character on the screen away from the billowing fireball that was rushing at it.

"Oh man, really?" Sasami pulled a face. "I bet she got that awful curry from that little place down the road. Yech." She pulled the kitchen door open, whisking an apron off of the hook beside the door and tying it on over her uniform. "I don't know about you, Tenchi, but I could use some real food after today."

Tenchi nodded vigorously, making the younger princess giggle slightly. "Alright, I'll make something up. You sit down and relax, okay? I won't be long." He moved around the couch, settling down next to the brown furred teenager.

"So what's this?" He asked, pointing at the holo-screen, watching an armored character strike at a dragon with a sword three times their size.

"Ultima-Battle-Fiction-VIII." The teen said, her eyes never leaving the screen. "You want in?" She asked, nodding to the controller on the table next to her. "I could use some help with this dragon." Tenchi chuckled and nodded, reaching for the controller and pressing the start button. A featureless mannequin appeared in the lower corner of the screen. He maneuvered the cursor to the symbol of a sword and selected it, the figure appearing in heavy armor. "Press the button in the middle." She ordered as a small avatar rotated slowly.

Tenchi did as he was asked, feeling his thumb tingle as he pressed the button down. There was a soft flash of light from under his thumb and he saw the blank avatar shift to look like him, bearing his face and his body shape. "H-hey, that's really cool!" He said as his avatar flashed to life on the screen.

"Yeah." Ryo-Ohki said, her character rotating to get a better angle on the reptilian beast, her slender avatar bearing her own brown furry visage. She maneuvered her avatar to take a slash at the monster, taking a deep breath. "Why did you leave, Carrot Man?"

"What?" Tenchi sputtered, missing an opening to attack.

"Tcha…pay attention!" She shook her head, moving to sweep at the dragons legs. "I said, why did you leave? I remember when Ryoko left you, and I kept an eye on you after that." She glanced over to him briefly. "She asked me to." She continued her attack on the scaled menace, biting her lip as she jerked back and forth, mimicking her characters movements.

"I remember that one day…you weren't there." She sighed and shook her head. "I thought that maybe you were just out, or I missed you, or something. But eventually…I realized you were just gone." She leaned forward, her elbows on her knees. "I looked and looked, but I never could find you," She whistled then, smiling wryly. "And boy was she mad at me for that."

"Ryoko?" Tenchi asked, finally making an attack on the beast and earning an approving nod from the teen.

"Yeah, she railed about it for weeks." She sighed again and paused the game, setting the controller down on her lap. "Things were fine for a while until…until it happened." She took a deep breath and navigated the game menu to open her character's inventory, changing out her weapon for a barbed lance.

She and Tenchi worked in tandem for a while, letting him block the blows while she attacked from behind him. The dragons health bar was slowly dwindling as they sat silently. "That's when I started growing, you know?" She eventually said as they paused the game to administer healing potions.

"I think…I think she needed it. Something for her to raise?" Her voice was calm and serious, no hint of the dramatic teenager from a few days before. "I was the child she always had but never realized." She shrugged slightly and let out a chuckle. "I did everything else for her, why not change my life for her?"

Tenchi paused the game then, making her extend a furred hand to the screen and drop her jaw in outrage. "You seem different than I remember, Ryo-Ohki…" He chuckled, shaking his head. "You only used to care about carrots."

She reached over and unpaused the game from his controller, making a face. "I always cared. But I never needed anything more than carrots back then." She smirked and used her power attack to bring the dragon down to its knees and letting Tenchi finish it off with a cinematic button sequence.

With the dragon dead, Ryo-Ohki offered him her hand, giving him a high-five. "Besides, Tenchi, I'm a computer unit that's thousands of years old, do you think I haven't learned a thing or two?" Tenchi sat back, chuckling some. "What?" She asked, quirking her eyebrow.

"You called me Tenchi." He smirked as she blushed softly. "That's the first time you have since I came back…" She shrugged and smiled softly, then leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

"It's good to have you back, Carrot Man." She leaned in closer and whispered into his ear. "And if you hurt her again, I'll make sure you're gone for good." She smiled as she felt him tense and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him close as the kitchen door opened and Sasami came out carrying a pair of steaming plates.

"Oh! You two were playing a game?" She set the plates down and laughed. "Was that Timmat? You've been trying to beat her for weeks Ryo-Ohki! Good job!" She bounced over and gave the furry teen a high-five. "Looks like a little help was all you needed, huh?" She grinned and gave Tenchi a playful punch in the shoulder.

Tenchi nodded, smiling weakly as the girl released him, whispering again as she pulled back "…Remember…" and walking around the couch to pick a piece of food from Tenchi's plate, earning a swat and a scolding from Sasami as she scampered up to her room.

He stood and walked to the table, letting out a sigh as he saw the plate loaded with fried noodles and grilled pork, feeling himself melt with appreciation. "Sasami…Thank you so much." He sat down and picked up his chopsticks. "You have no idea how much this means to me after today…" He sighed and shook his head. "I don't see how you can look at me after what I did today."

Sasami made a face as she sat down. "Tenchi, I've seen people lose control before, it doesn't happen to everyone, but when it does it's usually only once." She smirked. "Trust me, I've seen worse." She took a mouthful of food, gesturing at his plate. "Eat." She mumbled around her food.

Tenchi smirked and took up his chopsticks again, happily digging in, feeling the warmth and love of the food fill him and melt away the stress of the day. He looked across the table at the woman who was able to make such a lovely meal and command grown men as though they were helpless children. So much had changed since he was last here, so many people had grown apart or together and become completely different.

The door to the landing bay opened and Tenchi turned, noodles hanging from his mouth to see Ryoko and Washu walk into the room. "Oh, Tenchi!" The scientist cried, smiling at him. "How was your first day?"

Tenchi scoffed, shaking his head. "I think it could have been better." He stood and pointed to the unit at the back of his skull. "This thing didn't help at all, whatever it was supposed to do." Washu looked away suddenly, shrugging some.

"Oh, well, I thought it might help, but you never can say sometimes." She turned away and headed for her lab. "Well, come on Ryoko, we need to go over that data again…" Tenchi reached out and grabbed her arm, his brow furrowing in anger as she turned to face him.

"Wait, what was this really supposed to do, Washu?" He gritted his teeth and tasted bile in the back of his throat as a sudden rush of anger boiled up from inside of him. "What is this thing?" He heard his voice echo back to him and realized he was yelling.

"Hey, lay off of her!" Ryoko said and pushed his shoulder, sending him off balance and making him release his grip on Washu, her eyes serious. "Whatever she did she did it for you, just like we all have."

Tenchi rounded on the cyan haired woman and sneered at her, his anger swelling past his control. "Don't you tell me to lay off, and don't give me that shit about doing ANYTHING for me! You don't know what I had to go through today and you couldn't care less about how I feel or what I think!" He jabbed a finger at the back of his neck, growling his fury. "For all I know THIS damned thing is what made me lose it and flip out like that on Sasami!"

Ryoko pulled in close and gripped his shirt, pulling him onto his toes. "What did you do to Sasami? Huh?" She shook him bodily and bared her teeth. "So help me if you hurt her…"

She gasped and dropped him as he turned to face her, his face contorted into a terrible expression of wrath. She pulled back, watching his mouth spread into jack-o-lantern grin, his eyes glazed an unearthly shining gold. "I killed them all…I killed so many people." She stepped back as he let out a deep chuckle, cracking his neck and lolling his tongue out like some kind of a madman. "I watched them die, felt them breathe their last breath at the end of my sword, I tasted their blood, their fear, their pain…"

He laughed again, flexing his hands and advancing on her. "Why didn't you ever tell me how it felt?" He asked, his eyes wide and mad as she continued to retreat from him, her hands shaking.

"Why didn't you tell me how delicious it felt to just let go and destroy something?" He lashed out at her, his fingers catching the front of her dress and pulling her close, feeling that electric rush under his skin again. "I know you were being controlled by Kagato, but you must have enjoyed it a little…or remembered how it felt." He laughed again, baring his teeth.

"Bastard…" Ryoko whispered, grinding her teeth and blinking away a tear. "You BASTARD!" She yelled, swinging at him with all her might. There was a thud and the room seemed to stand still for a moment. Tenchi tightened his grip on her fist, the bones of her hand creaking with the stress as she crumpled and fell from his strike to her gut.

He turned on the others, his feet spread as Ryoko groaned from the floor, clutching her stomach. "So, Washu…you said I shouldn't take this off? Why not? What have you done to me?" He fumed as he strode towards her, reaching back and closing his fingers over the device.

"Tenchi! I'm warning you, please don't do that…" She warned, backing up and reaching behind her back. "There could be dire consequences…"

He barked out laugher and sneered at her. "Consequences? What ELSE could happen? I've screwed this world up so much already, what can happen now?" He shouted, grunting and baring his teeth as he pulled, ripping the device from the back of his head.

As it broke connection from his skin, Tenchi felt a pulse of something burst from within him and expand in a ripple through the room like a wave of heat, making the air bend and his eyes go wide. He felt his body arch backwards against his will, his arms and legs thrown wide as his bones creaked popped as he felt himself splitting up the middle, tearing in half.

A whine started in his ears and he tried to ignore it, but soon realized it was his own scream, high and long as his vision blurred and he saw Washu mouthing something at him, pulling her hands from behind her back and wielding some kind of odd, wide mouthed pistol. A golden haze flowed over his sight and he felt himself fall, hitting the floor like as if he were a marionette and someone had cut his string.

He muzzily opened his eyes, blind to the room but for the golden light, but this time it wasn't in his eyes, but in the room. Slowly it coalesced into the shape of a body, arms and legs outstretched. The blinding light drained slowly away as the ringing in his ears faded and he watched the light peel back like flaking paint, flesh and clothes appearing from somewhere within that illumination.

He felt oddly calm, disconnected from the chaos of the room, Ryoko trying to crawl away from the figure as Sasami gestured up the stairs, yelling silently at someone. Washu stood against the far wall, her arm across her eyes as she tried to aim the pistol at the light with a shaking hand. Tenchi felt his mind reeling, his body useless as he lay, looking up from his place on the floor.

The light faded back further, the shining figure taking a breath and letting it out with an exaggerated, echoing sigh. Tenchi's eyes went wide as he recognized the face as his own, the golden haze faded towards the middle of the figures chest, revealing him completely. Long black hair rolled down over its shoulders and a neatly trimmed goatee framed the doppelganger's grinning mouth. It wore long, ornate robes cut in the style of Jurai, spreading its arms and stretching, the room seeming to warp around it as it let our another sigh. **"Ahhhh….so much better to breathe free...**Free….Free…Free…" The figure's voice echoed with the sound of a dozen different voices, deep and booming and sweetly melodious at the same time. It laughed, turning to take in the room as the golden light crackled and shimmered briefly around its body like a corona of power.

Washu brought the gun to bear pulled the trigger, a burst of light expanding into some kind of crackling net to wrap around the figure, pinning its arms to its sides. With a laugh and a gesture, the net burst in a wave of power, throwing the voluptuous scientist back against the wall with a loud crack and sending Sasami sprawling against the staircase. **"Your toys are no good here, my lovely one. Perhaps I will save you though, and our dear Tsunami…**Tsunami…Tsunami…Tsunami…" He grinned as he gazed at the younger princess, who snarled through her teeth at him and tried to stand, finding herself the only one still conscious.

He clicked his tongue, shaking his head as he watched her struggle to her feet. **"But the hour grows late, and I must prepare…Be strong of heart my loves, for I shall soon return, and you will have your sweet Mikaboshi again…**again…again…again…" He folded his arms across his chest, Juraian robes flowing sweetly as he moved. In a flash of golden light that stole the waking world from Sasami, the God Tenchi, Mikaboshi, was gone.

Polaris, the north star, burned brightly in the darkness of space. With a flash of golden light, Mikaboshi appeared within its gravitational pull, slowly drifting down towards the surface of the blazing ball of fire. His long black hair flowed back from his head and his neatly trimmed goatee framed a grin of sheer ecstasy. He spread his arms and dropped down into the inferno that was the star, letting the flames engulf him. For a moment, nothing happened, but slowly the star grew dark, its flames dying and the brilliance of its light seeming to drain away. Within moments the star collapsed in on itself in a wave of light and energy, spreading its matter across a dozen light-years.

Amid the debris, Mikaboshi sat with his legs crossed, his hands in his lap. With a grunt of concentration, the swirling matter that was once the brightest star in the northern sky came flowing back, coalescing before him. His lips twitched up into a smile as the ball of matter unfolded itself, and with a crackling sound flaked away to reveal a patch of ivory skin and a soft, brown eye. **"Come, Tenchi-kun…let us go and make more brothers…**brothers…brothers…brothers…"

* * *

><p><em>Thank you so very much for taking the time to read my story, I hope you're enjoying it so far. If you have any comments, questions, or even suggestions, please let me know! Your support, reviews and thoughts are what keep this story going, so make sure your voice is heard!<em>


	8. Dreams Can't Hurt You

A Dream Unrequited

Chapter 8

**Dreams Can't Hurt You…**

_All characters, settings and copyrights are property of Pioneer and Funimation, not the author_

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><p><em>This was the chapter that held me up for almost three months, I'm terribly sorry to you my loyal readers to have kept it waiting so long. I hope you find this addition to the story to have been worth the wait!<br>_

* * *

><p>Blearily the room came back as he opened his eyes, resolving into twisted smears of color. With a groan Tenchi lifted his head from the floor and immediately regretted it. Pain coursed through his body, his every nerve vibrating with agony. It felt as though he had been ripped in half and roughly sewn back together, making him grit his teeth and squeeze his eyes shut tightly as the echoing waves of suffering slowly receded.<p>

He managed to push himself to his elbows, blinking rapidly and trying to focus on the shapes in front of him. Squinting one eye closed and peering around painfully with the other, the room suddenly swam into sharp focus. Washu and Sasami were leaning up against the far wall, slumped to the ground, their heads lolling forward. He groaned and turned his head to see Ryoko lay not a few feet from him, curled into a fetal position, clutching her stomach.

All his pain seemed insignificant as he forced himself up and half crawled, half ran to her side, scooping her up and into his arms.

"Ryoko!" He cried, shaking her gently, his head throbbing as he grimaced against his own pain. He let out a sigh of relief as she groaned in reply, furrowing her brow and stirring softly. He smiled despite himself, brushing a lock of her hair back from her face as he slid to his knees and cradled her in his lap.

"M-Miss Washu?" He called tentatively, keeping her daughter in his lap. The scientist stirred, reaching a shaking hand up to hold her head as she blinked and winced at the room.

"T-Tenchi?" She mumbled, slowly sliding up the wall and standing on her feet. He tried to take a step forward but hesitated, her foot hovering in the air before her and weaving back and forth as she tried to maintain her balance. She finally managed to set her foot on the floor, pin wheeling her arms before settling and holding still, her arms stretched out to keep herself upright. "W-what happened?" She asked, short of breath.

"I-I wish I knew…" He replied, slowly lowering Ryoko to the floor, almost reverently letting his fingers linger on her before he stood shakily himself. He held his head with one hand and reached for the nearby wall with the other, his mind still thick and his thoughts spinning.

Flashes of memory began to surface, remembering the overwhelming, blinding rage and the rush of power that exploded with it. He remembered losing himself in the glory and revelry of killing the simulated rioters. Shame overwhelmed him as the vision of him yelling at Washu and striking his precious Ryoko billowed up from his subconscious. Furrowing his brow, he fought to bring something else to the surface of his memory, his mind filled with a blinding flash of…

"Gold…?" He asked aloud, eyeing Washu with his head tilted slightly. The scientist shook her head, not meeting his eyes.

"Tenchi, I…" She began but then paused, sighing softly and kneeling down to shake Sasami's shoulder. "Hey…let's get up now, little-Sasami…" Her vision blurred as tears came to her eyes. "I never intended for anything like this to happen…" She closed her eyes, tears unshed glistening among her long lashes. "I wanted to help, but I never expected this."

"Washu…Did you know?" Tenchi asked, stepping forward. "Did you know that would happen?" He felt his eyes prick as he chewed his lower lip nervously. "Did you know I would…change… like that?"

She shook her head vigorously, turning to face him. "I swear that I had no idea, Tenchi…I…" She sighed again, hooking her arms under Sasami's armpits and lifting the young princess to her feet. "I knew the phenomenon with the stars had something to do with you, but this…" She bit her lip as she supported Sasami on her shoulder. "I didn't think that you could have brought…"

"What? Brought _it_ back with me?" He asked sharply, his eyes shut tightly against the pain of his own remembrance. "The Godling that you and the Choushin bred within me?" He clenched his fists as a hot tear rolled down his darkly stubbled face. "The very God-spark that saved me when I killed myself in my world of dreams?"

He opened his eyes to face her again, his hands trembling uncontrollably as the sheer magnitude of what he had brought onto this world crashed around his shoulders. That uncontrollable fury, the terrible power that had coursed through his very veins and burned like a coal in his heart, was unleashed, and it was his fault.

He had wanted to come back, he knew this now, he had longed for the life he once had, but something else wanted it more. It was that divine spark, the godly power groomed in him by the Choushin triad that made his return possible. Somehow when he tried to undo the life he had come to know, to become just a simple teenaged boy again, that spark managed to stay and though weakened, waited within him. Hidden as it was with him in his shattered mind, it grew; a sliver of the divine that became its own entity deep within the recesses of his consciousness.

The godspark within him is what created his dream world, his sanctuary against the wrongs he had done. It pulled him from his native plain and hid him from prying eyes to give itself a chance to grow stronger. To heal itself as Tenchi's life fell apart around him.

Without a care for human feelings or desires, this world was bleak and grey, without light or love. A world that Tenchi himself had given it schematics for. It was the God Tenchi that formed this world, but it was Tenchi's broken heart that had fueled its conception.

Tenchi shook his head and tried to clear his mind, feeling his hands begin to shake uncontrollably. He watched Sasami blinking awake against the scientists shoulder, groggily looking around the room. His eyes strayed to the prone form of Ryoko, watching her stir gently and flutter her eyelids, her amber eyes unfocused and full of hurt confusion.

In a wave of conflicting emotions the events of his last few days dropped on him like a truckload of bricks, forcing him to his knees as his breath locked in his lungs. His ears buzzed with the pounding of his heart and the rush of blood in his veins as his thoughts turned in on themselves and pushed out the other side of his mind. His body felt cold and hot at the same time as he took a ragged breath and let out a choked sob, gritting his chattering teeth and making his jaw shake as he hugged his arms against his chest, feeling as though his body would break in two.

"…" He tried to speak as he watched Ryoko push herself to her hands and knees through watery eyes.

He saw Washu walk over to him, crouching down and mouthing his name as she put her hand on his shoulder, her eye filled with concern. Her voice came a moment later as if from the end of a long corridor.

"Tenchi?"

His name barely made it past the deafening rush of blood that filled his head. He tried again, his jaw shaking violently as he opened his mouth, his teeth all but threatening to take off his tongue.

"M-my…f-fault…" He managed after a moment, his tremors becoming stronger as his vision blurred and the edges of the room seemed to darken. "E-every…everything m-my f-faul-lt…" He shook his head, realizing he was rocking gently on his knees. His nerves were stripped raw and his mind flooded with guilt and stress and pain. The sheer enormity of the wrong he had done on this world was like a screw that was twisting slowly into the base of his skull.

Ayeka's rape.

Sasami's rage.

Washu's poverty.

Mihoshi's reassignment.

Noike's obligation of marriage.

Ryoko's stillborn child.

**His** stillborn child.

He felt his throat lock up once more as he shut his eyes and tried to make it all not real, make it all some horrible dream that he could wake up from. Washu was yelling something now, her hands tight on his shoulders and shaking, shaking him as her mouth moved silently. He tried to focus and listen to what she was saying, but the darkness closed in from the corners of his vision, hiding the scientist in a cloud of shadows.

* * *

><p>Tenchi opened his eyes to an unbearable white landscape. He felt himself suspended above a featureless white plane, slowly drifting down until his feet settled on nothing. He took a tentative step forward, looking around, seeing the shadowless space extend unblemished in all directions.<p>

"_I made a choice." _A voice sounded behind him, making him start and turn around swiftly, his heart pounding in his chest.

He saw himself standing before him, still youthful, barely fifteen. _"I took the keys and opened the shrine." _The young Tenchi looked straight ahead, unblinking as he spoke in a haunting tone. _"I took the sword and broke the stone." _ It locked eyes with Tenchi, making him swallow hard at the accusing glare. _"I made a choice."_

"**I made a choice."**Another voice sounded behind him again, turning him like a top. His seventeen year old self stood, decked out in his battle gear.

"**I fought for those I cared about. I looked death in the face more times than I can recall and I walked away, if not unscathed, at least in the company of my family." **It brought the master key up, the shining blue blade gleaming like a polished sapphire in the featureless space.

"_**I made a choice."**_ This voice didn't come from either side or in front or behind him. He felt his throat close up as it sounded again, watching as a shadow image of himself stepped out from inside of his own body, dressed in the armor of the light hawk wings.

"_**I chose to turn away from what I had fought for. So long had I fought that I didn't know what else to do." **_The figure turned and looked through Tenchi, looking past him as though he was the shadow. _**"I was frightened by what I was becoming and chose to run instead of accepting what I was."**_

Tenchi looked at the three figures before him, trembling as he felt his mouth form the words. "I…" He closed his eyes and took a slow breath, clearing his mind and calming his racing emotions.

"I made a choice." He finally managed, feeling as though a weight was lifted from his chest. "I chose to make right the wrongs I had done to those I cared for. I chose to fight back against myself and try to change who I was becoming." He let out a long sigh. "I have made a mistake. Now I have made things worse for those I sought to protect and I don't know what to do."

The young Tenchi looked at him. _"I tried to fix what was broken, but it was too late. I had to adapt to the changes and consequences of my actions."_ It stepped forward and placed its hand on his shoulder, beginning to glow with a faint red light. _"Do not fight change. It is inevitable."_

"**I tried to fight my battles alone. I faced whatever came my way without thought for my own safety or my own body. I did not accept the support I was given and took on more than I could handle." **The battle-suited Tenchi placed its palm on his chest, looking Tenchi in the eyes as it shone from within with a bluish light. **"Accept help where you can find it, no man is an island and you cannot do this alone."**

Tenchi felt a current of power flow into him from the touch of his copies, a shudder rippling through his body as the light-hawk winged Tenchi placed a pair of fingers to his forehead. _**"I tried to run from my fate and change the course that my own actions had brought me to." **_ It closed its eyes and tilted its head back, glowing from within and shining yellow. _**"You cannot run from yourself, and you cannot change what has been done. By accepting your fate you take control of it."**_

The current of power began to grow stronger as each of his copies faded into columns of light that surrounded him on each side. He felt their strength flow into him and blend, filling him with a brilliant white light. As he felt his consciousness slip away he heard his own voice echoing back to him.

"You are the key."

* * *

><p>"Damn it!" Washu shouted and shook Tenchi again before hugging him close to keep him from slumping to the floor. "Sasami, are you alright?" She looked over her shoulder at the young princess, standing against the far wall and holding her head.<p>

"Yeah, I'm alright, my head's still fuzzy. What's going on?" She stumbled forward, finding her feet and walking over to the scientist. "What happened to Tenchi?"

"He's going into shock…I don't know if it was…whatever happened, or just from these last few days or… oh, GOD DAMN it!" She growled and slammed her fist into the floor beside her then sighed, turning to Sasami. "Get me some cold water and a blanket, we need to help him."

With a grunt, she knelt and lifted the man in her arms and carried him to the couch behind them to lay him down. With a weak smile, she brushed his hair back from his forehead, her smile faltering as her fingers touched his cool, clammy skin. "Sasami!" She called, looking around for her.

"What's goin' on?" Ryoko mumbled as she shakily pushed herself to her hands and knees. She coughed and winced, holding her stomach with a hand. "Wh-what happened?"

"Tenchi's going into shock. Something…" Washu sighed as Sasami returned with a folded blanket and bowl of cool water in her arms. She bit her lip and shook her head solemnly and took a deep breath. "Something came back _with_ him when he came back to us. We…we made a mistake."

"Oh, really?" Ryoko asked as she forced herself up from her knees and stood slowly. "That must be a…" She paused, bending at the waist and coughing again, a racking, painful sound. "M-must be a first for you." She stood again, rubbing her stomach as she walked forward. "Now what did you say about Tenchi?"

"He. Is. Going. Into. Shock." Washu said slowly. "His system has taken too much too fast." She sat back on her heels as Sasami laid the blanket over Tenchi's weakly shivering form and dipped a cloth into the cool water before wringing it out. "It…He, I suppose, must have been taking the brunt of the negative stimuli…" She clicked her tongue, moving to position Tenchi's feet on the arm of the couch, keeping them above his head.

"He? He who? You mean Tenchi?" Ryoko asked as she positioned herself on the edge of the couch with a grunt and a grimace. She nervously watched as Sasami dabbed at Tenchi's forehead, her expression serious. "What's happened?" She asked again roughly.

With an exasperated sigh Washu tilted her head and regarded her daughter with a stern look. "Tenchi came back, but he brought someone with him. Someone we thought was gone forever." She tightened her lips and took a steadying breath. "The Godling that my sisters and I bred within him survived somehow, and now it's torn itself free from Tenchi's body."

She shook her head and bared her teeth in frustration as she unconsciously took Tenchi's hand in her own, squeezing it as she pressed a knuckle of her free hand to her lips and felt her eye twitched slightly with the stress of the situation. "I thought that Tenchi had something to do with the phenomenon with the stars…but I never expected something like this…" For a moment she relaxed and looked at the stricken man with a peculiar smirk. "I'd love to see what a scan would show now…"

"I don't think this is the best time for that…" Sasami said gently as she wiped the cool cloth over Tenchi's face. "So you knew something about this and you didn't let me know?" Her tone was cold as she shot a glare at Washu. No longer was she the playful young princess but an iron-clad amazon, her magenta eyes darkening with anger.

"Sasami, we didn't know for sure." Washu began, shaking her head. "I was trying to gather more data before…"

"Enough." Her voice wasn't loud, but her tone stopped the scientist in her tracks. "You withheld essential information from a government operative charged with the safety and protection of this planet." She lovingly wiped the moistened cloth over his forehead once more, a faint smile on her otherwise stony face. "Do you understand the severity of this? We could have prepared, we could have done…something."

"More than we already have?" Washu snapped, brandishing the energy net launcher she attempted to use on the newly released Godling. "You think I hadn't considered something like this? I made this to try to contain the energy that was within Tenchi. I never expected it to come OUT of him. Don't you think I would try to plan for EVERY conceivable eventuality?" She gritted her teeth and tossed the gun-like device to the floor with a clatter.

"Washu…Mom, we have to do something…" Ryoko stood, wincing slightly but keeping her feet. "That…thing, whatever it was that took Tenchi over is out there now, doing Gods know what to our solar system." She paced the small area between the couches, her arms crossed over her chest. "I mean…it, He, was a part of you and the Choushin, right? He was supposed to be as strong as you, wasn't he?"

"Stronger…" Washu sighed, squeezing Tenchi's hand again as her mind raced.

"Stronger…? I can't believe this." Ryoko shook her head and bit her lip in frustration. "How could you have been so foolish?To have groomed something like that into existence without a backup plan and now to let it escape!" She rounded on the scientist and spread her arms wide, a wry grin contorting her face. "And NOW Tenchi's hurt, we all got knocked out and that…THING is out there somewhere, oh good job Mom, really great."

Washu furrowed her brow, opening her mouth to rail at her fuming daughter when she felt Tenchi squeeze her hand weakly. "…D-don't…"

"Tenchi!" Sasami gasped as the women gathered close to him, the young man blinking slowly, his eyes unfocused and roaming over the room.

He swallowed painfully and took a shuddering breath, his pale skin pulled tight around his eyes and mouth as a thin sheen of sweat glistened over his flesh. "Don't f-fight…this…" He winced slightly as he tried to sit up. "This is…my fault…" Washu gently slid her hands in behind him and helped him to sit up. "All of this…Is my fault." He sighed, his breathing shallow and his head still spinning. "W-what happened to me?"

"It was acute stress shock…your body has been through so much in such a short amount of time that your nervous system just sort of locked up. I guess discharging that much energy at once was just the straw that broke the camel's back as it were." Washu shook her head as Sasami dipped the cloth back into her bowl, wringing the water out of it and passing it over to the scientist. She laid this over Tenchi's forehead as he slid back to rest against the arm of the couch.

He took another shuddering breath and looked from one face to another, swallowing hard as he fought to keep what little he had eaten down. "I… I'm so sorry, everyone." He chuckled softly, burping up a mouthful of bile and choking it back down. "T-this is my fault, right from the start…" He closed his eyes to slow the spinning of the room.

"You stop that, alright?" Washu sighed as she dabbed at his brow with the moist cloth. "Just rest now and we can work this out." She drew the back of her hand across her mouth and let out a shuddering sigh. "I'm as much to blame as anyone here. If I had voiced my theories before any of this happened we could have prevented such a violent outburst and worked out how to contain the energy within you." She hissed out breath through her teeth as she handed the rag back to Sasami, wiping her palms on her legs. "Now we have a new problem to deal with."

"No…" Tenchi groaned, sitting up slowly. "I have a problem to deal with… I…" He choked suddenly, covering his mouth and gesturing to Sasami who quickly snatched up a nearby wastebasket and passed it over to him, looking away as he leaned over it and retched, coughing bile into it.

"You don't look to be in any shape to deal with anything right now." Ryoko snapped, taking the bucket with a slosh and pushing him down onto the couch. "Lucky for you we care enough not to launch you into space to freeze while we try to fix this mess."

Tenchi smiled weakly as she hastily pulled the blanket over him, treating him as brusquely as she could while still trying to tuck him in. "Even you?" He asked, looking up at her and watching her cheeks flush as their eyes locked.

She screwed her mouth into a wry smirk, taking the wet cloth from Washu and snapping it open. "Don't read too much into it." She said as she laid it over his head to cover his face. She turned and walked sorely towards the restroom with the trashbin, holding it slightly away from herself.

"Ryoko…" He called to her, muffled by the damp cloth. She stopped as he lifted the cloth with a slight wince, looking at her back. "I'm sorry… I didn't want to hurt you." Washu and Sasami looked away as she shot him a glare over her shoulder.

"I know. Don't expect to get off free but just rest for now." She walked down the hallway and slid the bathroom door open. "I'll pay you back for it later." Her voice echoed out of the alcove before the door closed behind her.

Washu shook her head, sighing and stroking Tenchi's hair. "I'm sorry too, that experiment was out of line." She sighed and pulled the blanket up around his shoulders. "Rest, we'll talk when you're feeling better." He nodded and closed his eyes, drifting off as Washu and Sasami stood, walking out of the room together.

* * *

><p>"So, what do we do now?" Sasami asked as she followed the scientist into her lab, closing the door behind her. "We've got some kind of crazy powerful version of Tenchi out there seeking what? Revenge?" She spread her hands, shaking her head. "I know that Tsunami is part of me, but it's not as if we share thoughts like this. What is this…THING up to?"<p>

Washu shook her head, starting to pace in front of her lab table. "I don't rightly know. When we repaired the space-time tear caused by Tenchi and Zetto's fight, we wiped most of our memories of what actually occurred in an attempt to prevent it happening again." She rubbed her temple, closing her eyes and grimacing. "Even thinking about it makes my head throb… But when everything was put back in order we thought it was the end of it. The power Tenchi had, while not gone, should have been severely limited. Instead it simply became dormant, awakening when he created the schism in time with his choice to give up that power."

She sighed, bringing up the last readings from the ECMD, watching how the energy spiked clear off the pre-set parameters. "I think that when Tenchi closed himself off from that power, it didn't just disappear, but instead became its own life form, existing in the same space, if not the same state as Tenchi did." She tilted her head, turning back to Sasami. "And now all it wants is what all living things want."

"What's that?" Sasami asked, leaning against the wall, her arms crossed.

"To live," Washu said gravely. "And breed."

* * *

><p>Tenchi opened his eyes, his body sore but otherwise unharmed. He winced slightly as he sat up, swinging his legs off the couch to stand. He stretched and groaned as he nearly lost his balance, catching himself before he fell. <em>Still off center…<em> He flexed his hands, curling his fingers into fists as he tried to gauge his remaining strength. He closed his eyes and concentrated, visualizing the gemstone at his wrist and feeling it flare up like a miniature star, warming the skin on the inside of his forearm.

"You need to be resting."

He snapped his eyes open and saw Ryoko leaning against the doorframe. Her arms crossed over her chest, she shook her head at him. "You can't do this by yourself, no matter what you think, and certainly not in your condition." She stood and walked over to him, putting the back of her hand against his forehead. "Hmmm…your temperature has evened out, and your color has come back, so that's a good sign."

He chuckled and quirked an eyebrow at her as she held his wrist, checking his pulse. "So all I have to do is hit you back and all of a sudden I get the mothering treatment from you?" No sooner had the words left his lips he felt the back of her hand again, this time smacking against his cheek with a sharp pop.

"Keep this up and I'll put you back in the clinic." She said, glaring at him. "I've still not forgiven you for hitting me, and I can pay you back right now if you want." She cocked back her fist and smirked as he flinched back. She chuckled and lowered her fist, taking a step back. "You can't seem to stay out of trouble, can you?" She sighed, shaking her head again.

"It seems that way…" He replied, rubbing his cheek. "And I know I can't do this by myself, but I have to try. I can't just lie here and expect things to get better." He tilted his head, catching her eyes. "Ryoko, I need your help."

She lifted an eyebrow and crossed her arms again. "My help? With what?"

"With this." He said, lifting his hand and showing her his wrist, the gemstone gleaming red against his skin. Her face dropped as she caught his serious stare. "If I'm going to have any chance of beating this thing, whatever it is, I need to be able to control this thing."

She reached out for his wrist and let her fingertips brush gently over the stone, watching it flare briefly at her touch. "This…used to be mine…" She said in a half whisper, feeling it tickle at the back of her mind, feeling her connection to it still active.

"I know…" He said, his eyes alight as the stone's power seared in his veins at her touch. _'I…can feel your power inside of it.'_

She blinked rapidly for a moment as his voice sounded in her mind. _'A-and I can feel you through it…'_ She thought in response, her cheeks flushing as she felt the intimate connection opening between them and bit her lip, closing off the link. "That's enough of that." She sighed, feeling her heart pounding in her chest. "I'll help you. Besides, you never did know how to fight without your fancy lightwings." She smirked, gently punching his shoulder.

She looked around and shook her head. "We need to find somewhere to practice though. You feeling well enough for a little training?" Ryoko turned and gestured for him to follow.

* * *

><p>Pressing the unlock code into the control panel, Ryoko led Tenchi through the permeable wall and into a mostly bare room, outfitted with sparring gear and training equipment. She turned and spread her arms, smirking at him. "We never really had a use for this place before, I guess we should break it in."<p>

He chuckled and looked around the impromptu dojo. "So, how do we start?" He rubbed his thumb over the gem at his wrist and looked over at her, the amusement fading from his face. "When I was training with Sasami… I tapped into it, I think. I felt this kind of power just rush through my body and I just lost control." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "The strength, the power…" He sighed and let his hands fall to his sides. "It was incredible."

She stood with her hands on her hips and nodded, her eyes serious. "I know how it is, I grew up with access to most of my powers, but I still remember when I first came fully into my powers, the rush of it was incredible." She let her remaining two gemstones flare briefly as she regarded him, watching as his gem reacted to her call and began to glow gently at his wrist.

He gasped, arching his back and curling his fingers into a fist as he felt the power of the gemstone burn through his veins again. "H-how…?" He blinked in surprise, watching her.

"Relax, Tenchi." She smiled softly, holding her hands out in front of herself with her palms up. _'The link we share through these gemstones lets me tap into yours…' _She stared at him, her eyes seeming to pierce into his mind. _'I'll help you learn to control this by doing it for you.'_

He nodded, feeling oddly exposed having her so intimately controlling him but trying to force his body to relax and let her take over. Her presence in his mind was like an itch at the back of his skull, but at the same time felt the most like coming home since Washu woke him only a few days ago. He sighed softly as the power of her gemstones melded with the energy of his own, and he tried to focus on the strength that sung through his muscles.

He felt the warm ebb and flow of crimson light feeding from her and into his body through their mental link, bringing his own gemstone to life. He felt it awaken slowly, growing stronger with each passing moment and didn't feel so much as 'taste' the difference between their powers. The energy flooding from Ryoko tasted crisp and airy, well contained and controlled, while his own had a heady, raw taste to it, uncultured and full of untarnished power.

Mentally he tried to 'grasp' this power, to take hold of it and bend it to his will but felt it almost physically recoil from his mental touch. _'No…' _ Ryoko's voice sounded in his head as she stepped forward, the light from her crystals casting red-tinged shadows across her face. _'It is not a tool to be wielded and forced to a purpose. It is life, as natural as breathing.' _She took a deep breath as if to exemplify her statement, then suddenly choked on her breath as their mental link fed her direct images from Tenchi's mind, his eyes having strayed to the sudden increase.

"Focus, Tenchi!" She stammered, her cheeks flushed from the mental images he was swiftly attempting to quell. She cleared her throat as she attempted to regain her own composure, glad she had the mental obedience to be able to hide her own thoughts from his vision. She reached into his mind again, curling her power into his and playing it out, coaxing his strength to come forth.

Tenchi felt the call of her power and felt his own respond. Concentrating, he tried to memorize the feeling of it flowing forth, and was shocked to find that it felt very much like a heartbeat. He stood in amazement as the power that had overwhelmed him earlier obediently flowed forward, churning in his blood and shimmering in his breath, ready for his desires. _'Respect it…unlike anything else it is like another living being. It lives as you live, breathes with your breath, your heartbeat is its own.'_

She moved her hands in a slow circle, ending with her wrists pressed together, the light from her gemstones slowly fading. As he watched, Tenchi found himself surprised that his own power still lay just inside his reach, shimmering in his minds eye like a second skin. He grinned excitedly as Ryoko nodded to him, feeling his excitement through their link and almost beaming with pride herself.

"Good, very good…" She brought her hands around again and created a small ball of energy that floated a scant inch above her palm. _'Now for something a little more advanced…'_ She prepared to send along a vision of forming a snowball to Tenchi, but gaped as she watched him take a breath and form one on his own. She smirked as she watched his power coalesce into a small orb, dark red in color and barely an inch wide, hovering above his hand. "Well done, now just be sure that…"

A loud bang echoed through the room and a flash of light exploded between the two, followed by a billow of smoke that Ryoko waved away, coughing and doing her best not to snicker. "…that you don't release it too soon." She grinned, watching Tenchi shake his scorched hand, cursing and stamping his foot.

"That stung!" He cried out, wincing.

"Oh don't be such a baby… let me see it." She chided, taking his hand. She clicked her tongue and wiped away the soot from his palm. "See?" She asked, pointing to his unblemished skin. "Not even a mark." She smirked as he wiped his hand on his tunic, an eyebrow raised as he looked at his hand. "You're a lot tougher than you used to be, remember that."

She squared her shoulders and shook an admonishing finger at him. "But don't let it get to your head, alright? You've died once already, don't make it a habit." Clearing her throat she moved her hands in another rhythmic circle, letting out a cleansing breath. "Try again, and this time maintain your concentration."

Tenchi sighed and closed his eyes, mentally calling to the gemstone and feeling a shiver of elation and pride as it once again swelled and flowed at his beckon. Opening his eyes he visualized the sphere forming in his hand, this time keeping constant concentration on the pinpoint of light as it grew to a small ball of energy. Ryoko nodded approvingly and pointed to a punching bag against the far wall. "Now, let's try propulsion. It's good to think of a straight line right to your target and imagine the line passing through the center of your bolt. Then visualize it _wanting_ to be at the end of that line. The gem should do the rest."

He nodded and took a deep breath, his eyebrows furrowing as he concentrated on the point of impact, holding his breath as he aimed down his raised arm and saw with his minds eye the ball of light passing through to the other side of the stiff leather punching bag.

With a ripple of power the sphere rocketed from his palm, the force of its passage sending him stumbling back. There was a brief tearing sound and a muffled explosion as the punching bag burst at the seams, spilling silica across the floor of the dojo and leaving the top half of the training bag to hang limp and empty from its chain. Ryoko blinked and scratched at her head through her messy cyan hair. "Um…g-good work. Don't…point those at me, okay?" She chuckled, eyeing her rapidly advancing student.

He swallowed hard and nodded to her stiffly, shocked at the result himself. "Maybe…we should just stick to the basics for now?" He suggested, chuckling nervously.

She nodded in agreement and dusted her hands off. "Yeah, that's a good idea." She wove her fingers together and stretched, making her knuckles pop in a series of crackles. "First lesson in the basics, duck."

"Duck…?" He looked over at her and then yelped as she rushed him with terrifying speed, her fist blurring as it seemed to burn through the air itself. He leapt to the side, his eyes wide as her fist slipped just past his head, his brief moment of relief brought to a screeching halt as her knee impacted with his midsection. Coughing, he crumpled to his knees, his arms across his stomach.

"I said duck, not dodge. Second lesson, listen." She clicked her tongue and offered him her hand. "Come on, you're tougher than that." He looked up at her with one eye screwed shut.

"Yeah, but it still hurts…" He groaned as he let her help him up.

"Of course it still hurts, you big baby." She sighed, dusting him off and making a face at him. "The point is to not MIND that it hurts." She smirked and planted her hands on her hips. "Sometimes it's okay to even LIKE that it hurts."

Tenchi shook his head, rubbing his midsection. "We aren't all masochists, Ryoko."

She grinned and stretched, making sure she displayed her body to him as best she could through her well fitted dress. "Oh? So you don't enjoy the sweet pain of looking at someone you once loved?" She blushed slightly as she felt his eyes roam over her form.

"I still lo…" He started, tilting his head to the side as his own cheeks flushed, watching her intently.

"Lesson three." She pivoted and hooked her heel behind his knee, bringing him crashing to the floor. With a grin she stood over his prostrate form and bent at the waist to wag a finger in his face. "Always pay attention."

* * *

><p>"Kami DAMN that…that…THING!" Washu fumed as she pounded at her desk, sending beakers crashing, pencils flying and throwing sheaves of papers into the air to float down like autumn leaves.<p>

"How many are we up to?" Sasami asked as she sat hunched over a de-constructed vehicle-mounted laser canon, a jewelers eyepiece pinched between her cheek and brow.

"Seventeen! Seventeen stars in a twenty light year radius gone! Just, gone! Not even a trace of their base matter remaining!" She pulled at her hair and stood from her seat, stomping around the laboratory. "What is he doing, and HOW is he doing it?" She howled and kicked a wastebasket full of crumpled paper, sending the wadded balls skittering across the floor.

"At least he's staying put for now." The younger princess responded, her voice calm as she reached for another diminutive tool and applying it to the electrical control panel of the refraction-lens relay that laid open before her.

"Yes, but for how long? There are only another few stars in that range before he would have to move on to seek more…food? I don't even know if he's eating them or what!" She fumed and clenched her fists at her sides, grinding her teeth in her frustration. "Beyond that he's progressing through these at an exponential rate! The first was twelve hours ago, the second four hours after that, the third three hours and sixteen minutes after that…" She tugged at her hair again, groaning in mental anguish.

"So we take the rate of consumption and extrapolate the amount of time before he must move to another quadrant and proceed to track him from there. We should be able to predict his next move if he is simply working to consume as much as possible." Sasami sighed and cracked her neck, fitting an ergonomic locking grip onto the modified laser canon which now sported two additional barrels and an oversized battery pack.

Washu paused in her ranting and peered over at Sasami's project. "I…suppose so…" She inched a bit closer to the terrifyingly militant Grand Marshall. "H-how's it coming along?"

Sasami stood and pushed a button on the console beside her, causing the wall of the lab to flicker and fade away, showing the night sky above the brightly lit city below. She flicked the switch on the power pack, causing it to light up as a high pitched hum began to wind up in frequency. She shouldered the massive weapon with the slightest of grunts, despite the obvious appearance that this weapon had more right being attached to an A.A. turret and not carried by a young woman. Flinching and scurrying out of the way, Washu hid behind her desk as Sasami aimed the canon towards the heavens and peered through the sights. The humming power pack reached a trembling crescendo and the turquoise princess pulled the double triggers.

The blinding vermillion light filled the lab for a moment, sending everything into stark contrasts of stretching ebony shadows and brilliance. The force of the blast sent Sasami sliding backwards a good foot and a half, but she retained her footing, the melted skid marks of her boots against the tiled floor the only proof of her movement. After a long moment, the light faded and the power pack wound down, completely expended.

Washu peered up from over her desk, trembling slightly as she watched Sasami grunt and heft the weapon from her shoulder, the tri-barrels smoldering and glowing red. The Grand Marshall clicked her tongue and set the canon back down on the workbench, making sure to keep the searing hot end of it hanging off the surface. "It's not perfect…but it'll have to do for now. We may be able to make it a bit more effective by modulating the beam wavelength but it's the best weapon we have at the moment."

"N-no kidding." Washu sighed, melting against her table and slipping to the floor.

* * *

><p>Ryoko and Tenchi stood panting in the middle of the dojo, both wearing a sheen of sweat. "You're a fast learner, Tenchi-KUN." She remarked, putting as much emphasis on the kid-name as she could, grinning wide. She was actually very impressed by his rapid progress and quick mastery of the gemstones power. He was strong before, and fast as well, but his prowess had increased tenfold with the addition of the gem. <em>'He's a better fighter than I am to boot…'<em> She remarked to herself, recalling how vigorously he had trained with Yosho, and how often she watched them in hiding.

"Well, I've got a pretty good teacher…" He smirked, and advanced on her once again. He led with an elbow, using the forward momentum to lash out with his fist in a backhand swing, watching with admiration and expectation as she easily batted away the feint. He grinned and stepped in close, slipping his foot between her legs and bringing his arm up to lock against hers as she rebounded from his elbow strike. As she fought against the lock he twisted, bending her legs around his and bearing her to the floor of the arena.

Her eyes went wide as the air rushed out of her lungs, struggling to free herself from the lock and wriggle away from her oppressor. "You bastard!" She laughed, grunting in frustration as he held her wrist at an odd angle, joint locking her arm and twisted his leg around hers to lock his foot against her ankle, rendering the leg useless.

"Do you give up?" He asked, panting and gritting his teeth in an attempt to hold back her incredible strength.

"To you? You wish!" She grinned and winked at him, phasing and becoming incorporeal, leaving the pretzeled man to fall to the floor with a thud. She grinned and quickly phased on top of him, using her superior physical strength and what she had quickly learned about joint manipulation from his own attacks on her to lock him into a submissive position.

"H-Hey!" He cried out, wriggling and straining against her. "No fair, you cheated!" He laughed, grunting as he pushed himself up onto half of one of his free elbows, glaring over his shoulder at her.

"Lesson twelve; don't fight fair." She giggled and pressed against him, her heart pounding from their sparring.

"Oh? Alright." Tenchi smirked and grunted, twisting awkwardly against her iron grip. She made a face as she felt him strain the arm she had locked against itself, suddenly becoming nervous.

"T-Tenchi…don't hurt yourself… I'll let go just…" She gasped and pulled back as she watched his arm suddenly jut out at a terrible angle with a loud popping sound. He grunted and twisted himself around so he was on top of the dislocated joint and twisted, the bone popping back into place with a wet crunch.

Trembling, she let go and winced at his obvious last ditch maneuver, reaching out gently to touch his shoulder. "Oh my god Tenchi…that was awful! How did you…" She squeaked as he suddenly rounded on her, pushing her once again to the floor of the dojo and pressing his body against her, using his greater weight to keep her in place.

"I've been able to do it since I dislocated it once sparing with Grandpa. It's not fun, but it's useful." He grinned as he held her wrists and locked her legs with his feet. "Besides, it threw you off your guard and you said don't fight fair…" He smiled, panting as he lay atop her.

"I know, but…ugh." She chuckled, panting as well, suddenly becoming very aware of the heat of him against her. She quelled the feeling and cleared her throat. "So…shall we continue?"

Tenchi took a deep breath and swallowed, looking her in the eyes. "Continue with what…?" He asked, his voice suddenly husky. Ryoko felt her cheeks grow warm as she tried to avoid his gaze, finally submitting and realizing she couldn't help but return it.

"Y-your training…of course." She sighed out, making a feeble attempt at pulling away from his grasp, a part of her secretly reveling in the electric thrill of feeling the tight strength of his body against her and the sudden rush of physical memory from their last night together.

He nodded, slowly letting go of her wrists and tracing his fingertips over her forearms, untangling their legs so he was kneeling between her thighs. He saw the vein in her neck jump faster as he nervously slid his fingers over her shoulder and caught the scent of their sweat filling the room, his mouth suddenly dry. "Yes, we should keep training. I still have a lot to learn about…" He cleared his throat and licked his lips. "Um, control."

Ryoko let out a shuddering breath and nodded, biting her lip as she squeezed her legs gently together, her knees pressing against his hips. "I think we both do…" She said softly as she felt her body grow hot, the scent of him filling her nose, the closeness of him overpowering her senses. In a moment of curiosity she opened the link between their minds and lost herself in the flood of mixed emotions coming from Tenchi.

She felt his desire, his lust, his hurt, his guilt, his love, his anger, and his trepidation. She sighed in relief as she reached up and wrapped her fingers in his hair, pulling hard as she pressed her mouth against his own in a passionate dance of tongues and lips, savoring the taste of him as his eager hands fumbled to disrobe them both, confident in the knowledge that she wasn't the only one who thought this was a bad idea.

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><p>Washu sat at her desk, chewing feverishly on a pencil, her hair a mess and eyes bloodshot. A dozen other equally mauled No. 2 victims lay strewn across her tabletop as data streamed across her shadow console. "I don't know what to do." She mumbled, awestruck at her own helplessness. "I've got to look at this from another angle but I don't know what angle to look, I've tried them all…" She sighed, letting the most recent savaged wooden tool fall from her lips with a clatter.<p>

"We can only try to ensure the Earth is protected from attack. Currently I've got all forces on red alert, but it seems pretty quiet." Sasami scrolled over the data on her own shadow tablet, shaking her head. "No stellar activity for the last three hours." She sighed, leaning her head back. The Grand Marshall looked no better for the wear than the mad genius, her turquoise hair disheveled and pulled from her low ponytail, her blouse unbuttoned halfway and her sleeves rolled up to over her elbows.

She blew out a deep breath and stood, clapping Washu on the back. "Come on. Go get some rest. We've been at this for hours now. I'll wake you if anything happens." She smiled warmly at the distressed scientist and helped her out of her seat.

Washu sighed and nodded. "There's nothing to do about it right now I suppose. I'll keep the data feed rolling and keep searching for any high energy signatures, but you're right." She yawned and rubbed her eyes with her index and thumb. "We're no good beat." She stretched and headed for the door, pushing the control button beside the doorframe and starting through into the passage.

A shrill beeping filled the lab as the multiple shadow consoles lit up flashing shades of red, orange and yellow. Washu wheeled around and dashed to her table, pounding commands into the keyboard as Sasami did the same while pushing a button on her wrist. "Status report!" She barked into her communicator.

"Grand Marshall Masaki!" A static-laced voice replied. "We have multiple incoming, number unknown! Direct collision course with Earth!"

"Number unknown? What the hell do you mean, officer!" She screamed, pulling up half a dozen new screens showing satellite images from around the Earth and gaping as she watched the cloud of meteorites scream across the video feeds.

"Too many, sir! We're establishing a defensive grid but I don't know how many we'll be able to stop!"

"Set up a full spread screen with auto-track firing and three squadrons for stragglers, this is basic meteor shower procedures, son!" Sasami growled, typing in commands for remote access to her security banks.

"But sir…they're changing course!" Sasami stopped, standing stock still. "It's as if they're piloted!"

"Sasami, I…" Washu began, but was cut off as the wall of the laboratory burst inwards, showering both with shards of plasteel and plexiglass. As the dust began to clear, Washu saw the first of the meteorites begin to impact in the city, streaking through the sky like blazing azure missiles and slamming to the ground far below. The rubble of the wall before them shifted and fell away as a burly figure stood, bits of wall cascading from it as it dusted its shoulders off.

"**Welly, welly, well."** A deep, gravelly voice sounded through the lab. **"You was right, they's both here."** The figure stepped forward as another slipped neatly through the hole the first had made.

"_I told you they would. I can smell beautiful women."_ The second voice was oily and high, and the speaker laughed slightly afterwards, a sound that echoed uncleanly through the remains of the lab.

"By the authority of the Perimeter Defense Sector I order you to stand down and submit to subsequent arrest and incarceration per section 197-352 sub paragraph 3.A of the Galactic Standard Law!" Sasami barked, drawing her pistol and aiming at the pair. "Drop any and all weapons you may have on your person and put your hands up!"

A moment of silence left the four to listen to the impacts and alarms of the city below and then the two laughed in unison, stepping forward out of the dust. **"You know, that's really cute deary, what with citing reference and sub sections and all that. Nicely done." **

"_Indeed, very professional." _The second remarked, clapping slowly. As they stepped forward, Sasami's aim waivered and her breath caught in her throat.

"T-Ten…"

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><p>Ryo-Ohki sat in her room, staring at the ceiling. Something was wrong, she just didn't know what. Sasami-Oneechan had told her to go to her room and lock the door, and not to unlock it until she came for her. That must have been hours ago.<p>

She sighed, but had obediently stayed put. She didn't NEED food, or entertainment, or even company really, but these had become such a constant in her life she was experiencing her most dreaded state of mind. Boredom.

So when the whistling of the first of the meteorites sounded just hundreds of yards outside her window, it was as much a terrible surprise as it was a blessed relief. She unlocked her door and came barreling out of her room, running down the dimly lit hallway. Such was her excitement at SOMETHING to do, she bowled right into a figure coming the opposite way. Rebounding, she rubbed her nose and paused, looking up. "Oh geez, I'm SO sorry, I just saw what was happening outside and I…"

She stopped and squinted in the low light. She recognized their face, and that smile, but something was off… something very important. When their hand shot out and closed tightly around her throat she realized that she had been right.

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><p>"So…" Tenchi began awkwardly, pulling his tunic back over his head and smoothing it down. The afterglow had faded and as they had pulled slowly away from each other an uncomfortable silence had fallen between Ryoko and himself. Their feverish, passionate and altogether amazingly satisfying moment together had passed, leaving in its wake a gut wrenching feeling of regret. <em>'Stupid!' <em> He chided himself at his haste and tried again.

"Um…did you want to, uh, go…and maybe…" He felt the words fall lamely from his lips as he stumbled over his own tongue.

Ryoko sighed as she buttoned up her dress, facing away from him so he wouldn't see her blazing red cheeks, both from her embarrassment for him over the feebly attempted small talk and for herself for giving in to her own selfish carnal desires. _'You'll only end up hurting him…and yourself…'_

She shook her head, turning to face him as she smoothed down her hair. "Look, Tenchi, I…" She stopped, letting out a tense breath. "I don't regret what just happened…"

"Oh, me either, I just…" He started.

"BUT it can't happen again." She finished with a soft smile. "Tenchi, I care for you, a lot…" She rubbed her arm and looked away slightly. "But we…don't work." She bit her lip and took a deep breath through her nose, steadying herself. "I'm sorry."

"Oh no…don't say that!" A voice called from the doorway. "You were getting along SO well too."

The pair turned sharply to see the intruder, both readying excuses that died on their lips. Against the doorframe leaned a slender man dressed in tight leather pants and a pair of heavy boots, a fur-lined leather jacket laced together with grommeted belts left open in the front to expose his toned chest and abdomen. He chuckled and ran a hand through his long silky black hair, pulling it back from his face. "Isn't forbidden love just too-too succulent?" He asked, Tenchi's face looking back at the pair and pinching up in sick amusement.

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><p><em>I'm actually very proud of how this came out. It took about 13 hours worth of typing last Saturday to get the changes made to these past three chapters finished, polished and uploaded. Was it worth it? Let me know in your review! <em>


	9. The Seedlings of Reality

A Dream Unrequited

Chapter 9

**The Seedlings of Reality**

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><p><em>All characters and settings are property of Funimation, not the author<em>

_WHOO. This chapter drained me. For the past couple of weeks, this has been bouncing back and forth between my home and office as I pecked away at the story. I hope you enjoy the fruits of my labor!_

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><p>"Wh-who the hell are you?" Ryoko stammered as her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to convince herself her eyes were playing tricks on her. Outside the penthouse the terrifying chorus of meteorites screaming through the air to burst against the ground sounded thin and reedy.<p>

"Who...me?" The slim man wore a shocked expression, placing a well-manicured hand to his bare chest. His wide eyes pinched tight again as a Cheshire grin spread across his face, Tenchi's face. "I'm a messenger of sorts." He stood from his place leaning against the door jamb and spread his arms wide as he strode towards the center of the room.

"A herald of times to come, flown on wings of fire, accompanied by a fanfare of stellar proportions, announced by a symphony of glorious music…" He smirked devilishly as a meteorite whined briefly outside and a tremor shook the building, quickly followed by a low painful rumble. "…and trademarked by wanton destruction." He took a moment to relax, lowering his arms and tucking a strand of long, ebony hair behind his ear, tilting his head to the side playfully. "You may call me Tenchi, if you like…"

Tenchi stood dumbstruck, watching his doppelganger playfully tease them as the sounds of destruction echoed through the walls from outside. Ryoko had no such qualms, trembling with rage and confusion as she clenched her fists and advanced on the man.

"What the hell is going on here?" She growled as she stomped over to the leather-clad figure, reaching out a hand to snatch him up by the belts that crisscrossed his chest.

In a blur of motion she found herself face to face with the man, his arm wrapped around her waist and her hand clasped in his, pinning her against his body as he leaned her backwards, dipping her as if in some sensual dance. His long hair cascaded down to one side of his face like a jet black waterfall as he stared into her eyes. A playful twitch of his lips brought to mind her barely completed liaison and elicited a soft gasp from Ryoko's throat despite her attempt to stifle it.

"You…" He breathed, smelling of oranges and vanilla mixed with the heady musk of oiled leather. "You may call me Sego…"

He lifted her back to her feet and spun her from the waist, sending her twirling out of control towards the still stupefied Tenchi. He snapped out of his daze in time to scramble up and catch her before she fell, scooping his arms around her as she glared at the man wearing Tenchi's face.

"That's it buster...you don't just waltz in here, looking like Tenchi and announcing that you're some kind of messenger when who knows what the hell is happening outside and expect to get to put your grimy mitts all over me!" Ryoko snarled, scrambling up out of Tenchi's grasp and flying at this 'Sego' person, her fist raised and crackling with power as she rocketed towards him. He grinned and spread his arms, welcoming her approach.

With an eardrum shaking roar, the two collided. The energy of Ryoko's strike discharging off to one side, tearing a furrow in the floor and causing the far wall to explode into a spider web of cracks as it crushed inward. Ryoko's eyes bulged as she gasped for air, one of Sego's hands around her throat as he held her wrist at an awkward angle off to one side with the other. Her feet dangled off the ground as he held her suspended, shaking his head and looking her over with an admonishing click of his tongue.

"Don't be so hasty my sweet, someone might get hurt…" He cooed, leaning in and locking Tenchi's gaze with his own as he traced the tip of his tongue across her cheek, tightening his grip on her throat and forcing another painful croak from her mouth. Sego's eyes tightened in amusement as Tenchi's face contorted from shock to rage.

Leaping forward, Tenchi threw a clumsy jab at his doppelganger, cursing softly as Sego dipped out of the way and pitched Ryoko at him again, this time throwing her into him and causing both to tumble to the floor. Tenchi rolled Ryoko over, cradling her as she coughed and wheezed, holding her throat as her eyes watered. "T-Tenchi…" She gasped, coughing again as she shook her head. "He's too strong, don't try to…"

Another whistling meteorite sounded just outside the wall, followed by a room-trembling explosion. Cracks began to form in the walls and ceiling, raining debris and dust down onto the trio. Tenchi arched himself over Ryoko, grunting as his back was pelted by bits of rubble while Sego stood basking in it as though it were a gentle shower.

"My brothers are arrived!" He laughed, turning to face the pair as they tried to shield themselves from the falling debris and crumbling room. "Let us welcome them, shall we?" The pseudo-Tenchi's grin shifted from a devilish smirk to spread across his face in a mad grimace, his eyes growing wide as he lifted a hand and flexed his fingers to let brilliant golden light crackle between them like sparks of sunshine. In a flash of motion he whipped around and released the pent-up energy at the concave imprint Ryoko's own spent power had created, blowing the wall outward to create a passage through the living area, out of the carport and into the city beyond.

Whistling softly as sparks and debris showered down from the demolished walls, Sego strode over to the pair and wrapped his fingers tightly into their hair. He pulled them sharply apart and proceeded to drag both writhing figures across the floor, his grin spreading even wider as they cried out and tugged at his wrists.

The living area was wrecked, pieces of wall and debris strewn across the room, the couches torn asunder and knocked to the side. Sparks and water burst from the wreckage of the walls, soaking into the soft carpet flooring and igniting tiny embers on the stuffing that had burst from one of the chairs. The smell of ozone and smoke still lingered from Sego's blast as he drug them into the ruined carport. Tenchi's new silver shuttle was a smoldering, crumpled wreck off to one side of the garage, Sasami's vehicle no-where to be seen, presumably having fallen down into the city below.

With a slight grunt, Sego pulled his captives to their feet and pushed them out of the hole to dangle by his tight grip on their hair. Tenchi cried out as he hung over the hundred story drop, digging his fingers into his captors' wrist as he felt his hair creak and stretch in its follicles.

"Look, my friends, at the glory our brothers have wrought..." Sego sighed as he gazed out over the city below them, a look of reverent admiration drifting across his features. He gave his captives a shake and tightened his grip, laughing sweetly as he heard Ryoko's soft cry of pain and felt Tenchi's fingers try to burrow into his skin.

Tenchi slowly opened his eyes, letting out a gasp at the vision of carnage before him. A blood-red sunset framed what remained of the pristine molded city he had come to know in the past few days. Dozens of blazing blue spheres rained down on the city, the explosions of their impacts rocked the city and echoed between the towering structures, rolling over him like waves of thunder. As he watched, a tall building was pierced by another of the streaking blue meteorites, the tower buckled outward from the impact and began to topple over, falling slowly towards the rest of the city. Azure flames exploded upwards as the meteors fell as rain upon the city, sending smoke and debris into the air.

Sego let out another laugh and smiled warmly. "Isn't it such a lovely vision our brothers paint upon this wretched world?" He looked down at Ryoko as she sneered out at the burning vista, a single tear rolling down her cheek as she began to tremble.

"Y-you bastard..." Ryoko growled through bared teeth, twisting in his iron grip, feeling her hair tearing from the roots. "You son of a bitch!" She screamed and tore herself free, leaving a handful of hair and a patch of her scalp in his grip. She turned mid-air, hovering as the fingers of both her hands curled into pointed cages and became filled with blazing ruby light. She thrust her hands forward, sending cylindrical bolts of light streaking towards their captor.

Tenchi felt heat rush through his body as everything seemed to slow down. The power of his gemstone flooded his veins and burned along his nerves, making his eyelids flutter and his head spin. During his training with Ryoko it had come slowly and easily to his call but now it came in a singular burst, filling him from head to toe with raw untamed strength.

As though viewing the world through a hummingbirds eyes, he saw the meteorites falling through the sky, trailing brilliant blue flames against the crimson sunset and bits of stone as their cores burned away. Ryoko's crackling energy bolts seemed to crawl through the air, arcing off miniscule forks of crimson electricity as they passed through wisps of smoke and dust. The cracking of buildings collapsing in the distance sounded like cannon shot as he watched them deflate inward in plumes of smoke and debris and in the distance a person jumping from a burning tower appeared to float mid-air in their downward plummet.

He tilted his head up and saw Sego staring back down at him, a manic grin across his face. Tenchi's eyes went wide as he felt the fingers in his hair slip free and he suddenly had a sensation of deja vu. All at once the world found its speed again and the blast of Ryoko's attack threw Tenchi out and down away from their building, the wind and smoke whipping around him as he watched the ground rise up to meet him.

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><p>Sasami trembled as she stood her pistol slack at her side. The hulking figure before her dusted itself off with hands the size of baked hams, its thick torso bulging with muscles that looked as though they were formed from corded steel woven underneath its thick skin. Bunched swells of tissue shifted and tensed under the thin plug-suit it wore as it stood, slightly stooped inside the lab. Worse than it's tremendous, obvious strength was its face.<p>

Sasami felt as though she was losing her mind as she gazed up at Tenchi's face on the oversized body. She couldn't understand how but its companion shared its face, Tenchi staring back out at her from the overly thin, slightly hunched figure that stood next to the behemoth. It was dressed out in what appeared to be a suit of battle armor fitted for its nimble frame, but seemed to ooze with and aura of unease that set her teeth on edge.

**"Hey, Eygon..."** He grumbled, scratching its chin with an oversized hand. **"How come we didn't take the door?" **He spread a great hand towards the wall, gesturing towards the control panel set into the plasteel. **"There's a door right there, coulda used that." **

_"It's all about how you use the situation for your advantage..."_ The one called Eygo hissed, running a slender, thin-fingered hand over his oiled back hair. _"Besides, I love the look of surprise on a lovely woman's face."_ He chuckled softly as he stepped towards Washu and Sasami, the very sound seeming to soil the air around him. _"So, after such a lovely introduction on your part, perhaps we should introduce ourselves as well..."_ He bowed at the waist, keeping his eyes on the pair as he grinned slowly. _"I am Eygon and my compatriot is Idneous."_

The behemoth grinned and stepped forward, rolling his shoulders. **"Pleased to be making your acquaintance..."** He rumbled as the women backed up away from their unexpected guests.

Eygo stood slowly and shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. _"I'm afraid, however; we have indeed been given rather specific orders..." _He let out a slow sigh and snapped his fingers. _"Idneous, if you please." _

With a grunt the monstrous Idneous hefted his fist back and sent it flying towards Sasami, who barely skipped to the side as it rocketed past her. She and Washu split in either direction as the oversized man waded forward, swinging his arms from side to side, knocking Washu's tables and desks aside to clatter against the walls of the lab. Sasami tucked into a roll as she dodged another massive fist, bringing her blaster around in a double-handed grip and squeezing the trigger twice.

The sharp report of the laser echoed in the lab for a moment, the smell of ozone lingering in the air as Sasami peered down the sights. She tensed and cursed under her breath as she saw Idneous lower his wide forearm, a pair of dark patches on his skin still smoking gently.

**"Now see here... that ain't so nice..." **Idneous turned and lifted his arms; hands clasped together over his head and let out a grunt as he brought them down, cleaving into the floor where Sasami had just been standing. She stood pressed against the wall, waiting till the titan that faced her lazily swung his arm around for another strike and dove under his reach, slipping past his bulk to stand behind him, panting with effort and fear.

_'One hit from that monster and I'm done for...' _Sasami thought as she dodged away from a vicious backhand from the beast and ducked the following jab. _'I've got to get him off his feet…let's see...' _She quickly scanned the area around her, her eyes landing on a length of wire dislodged from the wall by the newcomer's entrance. _'Yes...'_ she thought, diving for the coil of black coated, braided metal. Her fingertips just brushed its slick, rubbery surface when she felt her stomach drop out through her feet and the air rush from her lungs.

Idneous followed through, his fist buried in Sasami's midsection as he lifted her into the blow. Sasami's eyes bulged wide and her mouth opened in a silent cry as pain wracked her midsection, her ears whistling as she felt herself lifted and tossed through the air. The impact of striking the ground behind this monstrous figure elicited almost more surprise than pain as she felt the formed metal plating of the floor warp around her body.

She choked up a gout of blood, tasting the hot iron of her own vital fluid flood her mouth. Igneous pulled his fist away from her, chuckling softly as he crouched over her and looked down into her eyes. She gritted her teeth and tried to twist away but he placed one huge hand over her, holding her fast in the furrow he had dug with her. **"Not so quick now, are we?" **A wide, sick grin spread across his face as he lifted his hand again, forming a large fist. **"Nighty-night, sweet princess..." **

With lightning speed that massive hand rushed towards Sasami's face, and carried with it certain death printed clearly on each horny knuckle. _'Not today… No…' _She thought frantically, straining against her hulking assailant's strength and working a hand around the handle of her beam sabre. Just before she felt that rough, cracked skin and concrete bone plunge into her skull, a flash of emerald light from her right forced her to wince and close her eyes tightly. She opened her eyes, blinking away the hazy glimmers of color from her vision, Idneous nowhere to be seen.

Washu hurried to her side, kneeling and offering her free hand, the energy net pistol gripped tightly in her other. "Come on! It won't hold him for long." Sasami grasped her hand and pulled free from the warped, deformed metal plating of the floor, her abdomen screaming in pain as she coughed up another mouthful of crimson and spat it to the side. She glanced over to see the hulking form of Idneous twisting and straining at the shimmering emerald web that contained him, howling as his face contorted in rage, veins standing out on his neck.

Sasami scrambled up as quickly as her bruised midsection would allow, wincing at each twist of her damaged body. "Washu, we have to...DUCK!" Her eyes went wide as she pushed the scientist aside as a whine of filled the air and a ripple in the air of the lab striking her full on as she stumbled back, falling to her knees as she coughed, holding her stomach.

"Sasami!" Washu cried, running to her side, kneeling beside her and looking over at Eygon, the slim man floating a few inches above the debris littered ground of the room. He grinned slowly, his lips thin and lizard-like as he held out a hand, the air around it beginning to warp and ebb as an eerie whine filled the air. Washu grabbed Sasami around her shoulders and leapt aside as the whine reached a crescendo and released with a sound like a violin string snapping. Another column of wavering energy blew just over their heads, slamming into the wall opposite the pair.

"Are you alright?" Washu asked as she quickly stood, leveling the energy net launcher at their new foe. She aimed down the sights and started applying pressure to the trigger.

"Yeah... just a second... Ungh!" Sasami grunted and jabbed a metallic tube against her thigh and pressing down a red plunger on the end of it, causing it to emit a sharp hiss and flood the thick-looking fluid contained within into her body. She exhaled through her teeth, extracting the three-inch long needle from her leg and cracking her neck as she tossed the canister away to clatter against the floor. She caught Washu's confused stare and groaned, wincing slightly as she stood. "Combat cocktail...not pretty but it'll keep me on my feet and speed my recovery..."

"So..." Sasami started as she stretched, the pain-killers and concentrated adrenaline from her hypo rushing through her veins to dull the ache of her injuries. "Who do you want to take?"

Washu turned as she heard an electrical short, watching Idneous begin to tear himself free of the energy web that held him fast. "I'll take tiny... He doesn't seem too happy at me anyways, can't expect him to fight fair."

"Alright then, I'll take the creep." Sasami replied, cracking her knuckles and planting her feet as Eygon continued to grin and flexed his fingers, the rippling air wrapping itself around a nearby chair and lifting it from the floor of the lab.

Washu leveled the energy net launcher at Idneous's hulking form once again as he pushed free from the crackling bindings and pulled the trigger. A soft beep announced that the battery was still recharging and wouldn't be ready for another ten minutes. "Shit..." She muttered, lifting an eyebrow as the monstrous figure flared his nostrils, breathing heavily and roared at her, beginning to charge.

A slow grin spread across the universe's greatest genius's face as she planted her feet in an advanced hidari-shizentai, bringing her hands up in a slow wheeling motion.

"Bring it..."

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><p><em>By suggestion of one of my favorite beta readers [A'Rion Larent]I've split this chapter into easy to handle chunks, preventing anyone from choking on 11,000 words at a time! Chew slowly and don't forget to savor. Be sure to let the chef know what you think as well, be it fair or ill.<em>


	10. Thy Dreams Shall be Prophets

**A Dream Unrequited**

Chapter 10

**Thy Dreams Shall be Prophets**

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><p><em>All characters and settings are property of Funimation, not the author<em>

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><p>Tenchi shook his head, snapping his eyes open. <em>'But I...I fell...?' <em>He looked up and saw Ryoko tear herself away from Sego's grasp and growl in fury as she unleashed dual blasts of energy towards him. He watched as his clone opened its fingers, letting the strands of cyan float away on a scalding updraft. As Tenchi felt the fingers in his hair begin to loosen he panicked, instinctively tightened his grip on Sego's arm.

A sickening, grinding crunch sounded under his fingers as his gemstone empowered muscles crushed the bones of Sego's wrist and forearm as though they were made of wet sand. Tenchi felt himself falling again as Sego's eyes bulged and he fell to his knees, Ryoko's blasts passing just over his head to burst against the far wall and send a wave of flames and smoke to break around the clone like water against a rock. Tenchi dangled from his arm, hanging out of the hole in the building and swinging gently to knock against the side of the ruined tower. Sego strained and tried to pull his quarry up, but his flesh twisted awkwardly around his crushed bones, all strength sapped from his arm.

"My, my, my... look who's woken up..." Sego hissed, his eyes bloodshot and bulging as he gritted his teeth and crawled to his feet, using his good arm to swing his limp one up and over, tossing Tenchi across the room with ease.

Landing with a stumble and stopping himself from running into the far wall with one of his hands, Tenchi turned, panting and dripping with sweat. _'What happened? I was falling... I felt him drop me and... n-now I'm back?' _Tenchi shook himself back to the moment and watched as Sego stared in disbelief back at him wincing as he tried to move his ruined arm. Slowly a terrible grin spread across his face and he began to laugh, gripping his jacket at the seam of the sleeve with his good arm and tugged sharply, the sound of threads and leather popping apart almost lost in the cacophony of destruction in the city beyond.

Tenchi watched as he peeled away the leather from his arm, the flesh halfway down Sego's forearm purple and twisted almost beyond recognition. Sego laughed louder, his voice bouncing off the walls of the shuttle port as he lifted his ruined appendage, letting it flop painfully from side to side. Slowly it seemed to fill from within, plumping out and firming up as his bones and muscles reknit themselves, the discolored and torn flesh melting away to reveal fresh pink skin.

"You can't beat me, boy... Everything you wish you could be, everything you can't do, and everything you won't do...I am. I. Am. Perfection." Sego intoned, once again filling the garage with the echoing peals of his laughter. His laughing choked out suddenly as Ryoko wrapped her arm around his neck from behind, locked it behind her other forearm and began to squeeze. His strangled coughing quickly abated as he forced his hands under her arm and pushed out, straining against her strength.

"Tenchi!" She cried, struggling to keep her grip on him as he began to thrash, sending her flying back and forth as she clung to his neck. "Blast him, Tenchi! Do it now!" She furrowed her brow and flexed again, grunting as she forced her arm against his trachea once again.

He shook his head, gritting his teeth as he brought his hand up, fighting to focus his power into a sphere like before. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to remain calm and draw out the strength he felt before, bending his thoughts into a tight sphere. A rush of heat and the shimmer of crimson light behind his eyelids made him let out a shuddering breath in relief as he opened his eyes again and saw the pulsating bead of energy floating in his palm.

He raised his arm, aiming down the length of it towards the grappling Sego and Ryoko, the cyan haired woman fighting to keep their foe still for him. He felt sweat dripping down his forehead and threatening to blind him as he trembled, waiting for a clear shot, not wanting to hit the thrashing heroine.

"DO IT!" She yelled as she clung tighter to Sego, trying to brace herself and keep the Tenchi clone off balance. Sego grinned and watched as Tenchi waivered, closing his fingers over Ryoko's arms and lifting his feet from the ground, causing Ryoko to stumble backwards, off balance. In a single motion he planted his feet again and flipped her over his shoulder, sending her careening towards Tenchi once again.

"Too late, Tenchi!" Sego yelled as he watched Tenchi rush to catch her, letting his energy sphere dissipate in his haste. He grinned, lifting his fist and bursting forward in a flash of speed, his eyes wide and wild as he bore down upon the tangled pair before him. "Goodbye, fool!"

Tenchi felt his head spin and his vision blurred around the edges as he watched Sego rush in, swinging his fist forward and pulling short, his knee springing up from below at a terrifying speed. He tried to push Ryoko off of him and bring an arm forward to block the blow, but too late. He felt Sego's knee connect with his lower jaw, his teeth clicking together painfully and rattling loose in their sockets, his head snapping back and stars exploding in his vision as the heady taste of iron filled his mouth.

Blinking his vision clear again, Tenchi flinched as he saw Sego rushing across the shuttle bay towards them, his fist cocked back. _'What?'_ He pushed Ryoko to the side as he saw Sego's knee lifting up, and moved his arm to intercept it, bracing himself as it pounded against his block.

Sego's eyes went wide as the unexpected shock sent him reeling backwards, finding his feet and bringing his hands up once again. "How did you...?" He snarled, rushing towards Tenchi again, his face contorting with rage as a vein in his forehead bulged. His feet pounded against the metal-plated flooring of the shuttle bay as he advanced, his body arcing with power as he nearly flew towards his foe.

A spark of pain lit behind Tenchi's eyes and the side of his head throbbed momentarily as a familiar tingle flooded his mind as his vision blurred again, covering the scene before him like a thin fog. He saw Sego rushing forward and leaping, bringing his foot around to strike the side of his head. Shaking away the vision just in time he ducked and swept his foot down and out, catching Sego just behind the knee and sending his clone tumbling across the floor to crash against the far wall, sending a cascade of rubble down onto him.

_'I... I knew...' _Tenchi thought, watching as Sego slowly pulled himself up and shot a hateful glare at him. _'I could see it... why?'_ He shook his head and readied himself as Sego pushed his way out of the concrete and formed plasteel, all calm demeanor now lost in his rage. Tenchi felt his muscles sing with power as he slipped into a fighting stance.

Ryoko pulled herself up beside him, baring her teeth and tightening her fists until they creaked. "That son of a bitch is going to get it..." She growled, shooting a glance over at Tenchi. "Hey...you alright?" She asked, never taking her eyes off of Sego, waiting for him to move.

"Yeah, I'm alright... I can take him, Ryoko. Something about him, I don't know, I can see through his attacks..." He replied softly and shook his head again. "It's like I can..." He stopped as his eyes went wide for a moment. "It's like I can see his thoughts..." He slipped his sleeve down and looked at his gemstone embedded under the skin of his right wrist, watching it ebb and flare. He looked back at Sego, reaching out with his mind, sending out feelers for an unknown path.

Tenchi felt his mind latch onto an alien tickle at the back of his mind, his eyes flashing yellow for a moment as the clone still fuming as he climbed out of the rubble. With an echoing cry, Sego threw his arms wide, unleashing a blast of energy that sent the stone and metal screaming through the room. Tenchi turned his back to the blast, holding Ryoko tight as the rush of power and shrapnel flew against them.

"Tenchi!" Ryoko screamed, trying to push away from him, fearing the worst. Tenchi pulled back slowly, a small smirk across his face. As her eyes focused past her recent lovers black hair, seeing a shimmering wall of crimson energy flickering behind his back to arch over the pair. Bits of metal and stone had lodged themselves in the thin shield, piercing partially through.

"He's... connected to me." Tenchi said slowly, momentarily weakened from exerting so much power at once. He chuckled and shook his head, letting the power fade and flood back into his body, the shrapnel and debris falling to the floor with a clatter. "I can see..."

Sego's furious cry snapped them out of their moment and another spark of pain flashed in Tenchi's head. In a flash of speed he turned on his heel and caught Sego's dropping leg mid-axe kick, pushing with all his might. Completely unbalanced Sego flew backwards, bursting through the wall behind him and careening into the living area beyond, Tenchi fast on his heels.

Stumbling to a recovery, Sego tried to slip a jab between Tenchi's advancing guard, but found his blow sent wide by a quick block. He lifted an arm to attempt an elbow and caught a fist to the ribs, the impact resounding through the room like a gunshot as the sledgehammer blow powdered his bones. Choking in breath, Sego howled in fury and sudden pain, attacking wildly as all composure was lost to the wind, fists and feet flying with a chaotic pattern born of mad, helpless fury.

One by one the blows were blocked, rebounded and countered, driving Sego's fury to even greater heights. His eyes bulged, streaked with red as he screamed his rage and saw Ryoko standing ready in the hole in the wall Tenchi had made with his body. Twisting his features into a mask of devilish revenge he leveled his hand at the cyan haired woman and built a blinding golden charge of energy in the palm of his hand, prepared to burn her out of existence.

_'Draw a line through your target...'_ Tenchi heard his grandfather's voice in his thoughts as he brought his arms down in a sweeping motion, his eyes closed as he concentrated on the teachings he learned at the hands of Katsuhito. _'Visualize the strike and result long before you ever make it...'_ He felt heat suffuse his arms and a faint tremor of resistance echoing up his arms. _'Absorb the impact, let it ground you and connect you to your opponent...'_

A soft thud made Tenchi open his eyes slowly, a crimson glare filled his vision, seeming too-too bright for a moment before it resolved itself into a broad blade of energy grasped between his fists. The blade gave off tiny arcs of energy, sizzling in the dust-filled air of the living area. As the rest of the room came into focus, he saw Sego standing beside him, his mouth open and eyes wide, sweat dripping down his face as he took deep gasping breaths.

Looking down, Tenchi saw why. From the elbows down, the lower halves of Sego's arms lay on the floor of the living room, cauterized from the passage of the beamsword, blackened on their raw ends. The remaining portion of Sego's sleeve hung slack against his amputated forearm, the fingertips still twitching as arcs of power jumped from one to the other. Sego stumbled back, his mouth working but no sound coming out. He grunted and waved his stumps around ineffectually as sounds began to return to him.

"A... Augh-ah... I... W-wh... N-NOOOO!" He shrieked, the flesh just above his severed limbs bubbling and undulating, trying to heal but unable to push past the burned portion of his arms. With a burning glare he turned and phased out into thin air, leaving Tenchi and Ryoko alone in the living area. Tenchi lowered his sword, letting it fade away with a faint sizzle of ozone as he suddenly found his hands shaking and he let out a deep breath he wasn't aware of holding.

Tenchi turned, looking over at Ryoko as she slumped against the crumbling edge of the hole leading into the shuttle port. She ran her fingers through her hair, letting out a nervous chuckle and closing her eyes. The chuckle grew into a manic laugh as her shoulders began to shake, her laughter turning to choked sobs. Tenchi bit his lip and walked to her side, closing her in his arms as she gasped and shook.

"Oh gods, what was that thing?" She whispered as she regained her composure, pulling away from him and hugging her arms around her chest. "It... HE had your face..." She shuddered violently as she saw the dismembered arms lying on the floor. "We need to find Washu... She'll make heads and tails of this..."

"Yeah, and she might be able to tell me where this guy came from..." Tenchi said as he strode over to the pair of forearms in the middle of the room, kneeling down and picking one up nervously. The feel of the still warm dead flesh turned his stomach and he had to look away, spitting out a mouthful of bile. A brilliant flash of light and wave of fierce heat emanating from the limb made him jump back and drop the forearm to the floor where its twin also burst into a blazing golden haze, both vaporizing in a blinding glare.

Blinking away the afterimages of the miniature stars, Tenchi rubbed at his eyes and stared at the scorch mark where the arms once laid, shaking his head. He stood, running his fingers through his hair and turning to Ryoko, seeing her as stunned as he was. "What just...?" He started, but was cut off by a distinctly feline cry, his eyes snapping wide and catching Ryoko's gaze.

"Ryo-Ohki… !" She gasped, wheeling on the spot and lifting from the floor, flying down the hallway towards the sound.

The problem with being a young, teenage girl is the way everyone thinks you can't take care of yourself. When you're a young teenage girl who also just so happens to be a supremely powerful spaceship, things don't seem to change much.

Ryo-Ohki brought her blade down, slicing the... _thing_... in front of her in half, dazzling light dancing off of her crystalline skin as it, like so many before it burst into a shower of sparks and brilliance. She turned, readying the angular sword she had formed from her own massu reserves, an eager grin across her face. _'It's been too long since I've had a good fight...'_ She thought, turning in a slow circle and measuring up the crowd of identical foes that surrounded her. Her body glittered with formed crystals, fitting together into a head to toe suit of super dense armor, the edges and faces of the dark violet stone flashing with the meager light from the overhead florescent lamps.

Another figure leapt towards her from the side, its expression a mask as her blade pierced it through the midsection and burst through its back. With a grunt she grimaced as the weight of it pulled her sword to the ground, stuck in its lifeless form, that horrible rictus of a face never changing in life or death. From the edge of her vision she saw motion from her right side and gritted her teeth, tearing the razor-edged gem blade out through the side of her latest victim's torso, showering brilliant sparks through the air as she swung her sword through the air. It whistled as it flew, severing the head from the attacking figure to tumble in the air as both felled enemies burst into motes of light that wafted down through the air around her.

"Ryo-Ohki!" A familiar voice came echoing down the corridor as she held her blade up to defend against any incoming attackers.

"M-mom?" She called, her guard dropping slightly as she glanced over her shoulder to see Ryoko speeding down the hallway. In a flash the crowd around her crashed in like a wave, bowling her over onto her back as hands tore at and skittered across her dark indigo armor. She thrashed under their grasp, swinging her sword wildly and scoring a lucky strike, one of her assailants bursting into brilliant sparks to shower her with stinging embers.

With the sound of a passing fighter jet, Ryoko plowed through the mob, the impact sounding in the enclosed hallway like a shotgun blast as figures tossed and tumbled through the air before her. Breathing heavily, Ryo-Ohki climbed to her feet, her begemmed hand wrapping around the crystalline sword as she watched Ryoko push one of the figures into the wall, her rage taking over as the all but tore another to pieces with a flurry of strikes.

Ryoko grasped another figure by the wrist and slammed it into the wall beside her, causing the plasteel coating to warp and crinkle around it as she wheeled about, bringing her fist into devastating contact with the foe behind her. Her vision was tinted red as she hewed through the crowd of fiends who would _dare_ touch her daughter, her sweet Ryo-Ohki, the one thing that kept her going through the years of torment and hard work at the University.

With a slight grunt she hefted another bodily over her head, arching back and throwing the flailing missile to bowl over another cluster of the slender foes, sending them into a tangled pile. She clenched her fists, her fingers curling into fierce cages as she stormed forward and wrapped her hand into the soft-blue colored jumpsuit of one of the men. As she hauled him to his toes, his head lifted slowly and Ryoko got her first good look at the foes she faced.

She stifled a gasp and pushed him away from her as her amber eyes grew large, her hands trembling with something far more primal than rage. The man she shoved, if you could call it that, stumbled and reeled as it caught it's feet, bringing its head back up to stare back at her. The grinning face of a seventeen year old Tenchi Masaki stared out from under a shock of messy black hair, his youthful body clad in a two-toned blue jumpsuit adorned with feathered patterns crossing over their chest. As she watched, the pile of men climbed to their feet, each one staring back at her from the face of the Tenchi she had spent so long watching grow up.

She took a step back as they started to advance on her, bringing her arms up as they leapt forward as a wave of bodies, trying to shield herself from this further nightmare. An indigo blur shifted the air in front of her and a shower of brilliant sparks continued the momentum of the bodies they once composed. As she blinked away the embers of light, she saw Ryo-Ohki standing in front of her, facing down the next shuffling group of Tenchi-clones, her blade still held at the endpoint of her swing.

"Ryoko… Mom…" She said softly, glancing over her shoulder at the woman she came to know as her mother over the past years. "It's not real. They're just shadows of Tenchi." A small smile graced her feline face as her pointed ears wiggled from under her crystalline helm. "They aren't him."

Her face grew serious as she turned her attention to the mob that was quickly moving down the hallway, pouring in through the ruined remnants of what was once the front door of their loft. Dozens of Tenchi clones clogged the passage, all wearing the exact same unflinching grin, the same dead, glazed brown eyes, the same shaggy black hair and blue jumpsuit. As if following the same silent drumbeat they stepped in time, uneven rows of unblinking automatons surging forward towards the mother and daughter.

"Ryoko! Ryo-Ohki!" Tenchi's voice echoed down the hallway as he ran, his house shoes pounding the plated floor as he rounded the corner. He saw Ryo-Ohki and let out a relieved sigh to see her unharmed, then tilted his head as he noticed her decked out in the dark purple armor, glistening in the pale light of the overhead lamps. His gaze followed the length of her surprisingly surely gripped sword and wheeled back as he saw droves of himself striding down the hallway towards them.

"W-What the hell is going on?" He gasped, taking a place beside Ryo-Ohki with Ryoko just on her other side. "Why do all these people look like me?"

"I don't know… but they're coming up from the stairwell." Ryo-Ohki said as she shook her head. "There's too many this time, we'll have to run." She twirled her blade, the handle skimming across her palm as she twisted it up to swing over her shoulder, seamlessly fusing to the material of her armored back. "Let's go, Grandma will know what to do." She said as she turned, starting back down the way her would be saviors had come.

"Wait a second, Ryo." Ryoko said, bringing her hands together and gritting her teeth as vermillion light filled the space between them, growing brighter with each passing second. With a cry she brought her clasped hands up over her head and swung them down, unleashing a wave of power that ripped into the flooring before them, stripping the metal plating down to the building supports and blowing through to the level below. The edges of the hole smoldered and dripped molten metal as she dusted off her hands and smirked at the approaching horde. "That should slow them down." She chirped as she turned and caught up with her companions. "Let's go find Washu, she'll have some ideas."

The trio had just reached the turn of the corridor when a thud from further down the hall caught their attention. Tenchi stopped and turned to see one of his clones kneeling on the far side of the hole Ryoko had hewn in the floor. Slowly it stood, bringing its head up to face them, that horrifying grin unmoving as it started forward again. Tenchi felt his blood run cold and his hair stand on end as the other clones caught on, several leaping the ten foot gap to land as the first did. Still others dug their fingers and toes into the walls and clambered around the hole by crawling on the walls and ceiling, boiling over each other like insects pouring out of a nest as they pursued their prey.

All three felt their bodies stiffen in fear as their mindless foes quickly found their way past the obstacle, driven forward by some unspoken primal need. "RUN." Ryo-Ohki squeaked as they turned and tore through the passage, Ryoko flying ahead as Tenchi and the armored teenager scrambled across the floor.

As Tenchi ran alongside the teenager, he took a closer look at the dark purple crystals that lined her body. Each panel of sloped and angled crystal seemed to meld seamlessly with its neighbor and moved fluidly through and over each other as she ran. More surprising than that, where the crystals met her softly furred skin it seemed as though they were fused directly to her body.

"W-where did you learn to handle a sword like that?" He puffed as they turned a sharp corner, heading down the long hallway to Washu's lab.

"At school…" She replied, her gaze locked on the control wall before them. "I take Juraian swordplay as an elective course." She smirked, allowing herself a quick glance at the man running beside her. "Plus, I know you didn't notice mom watching you all those years ago, but you had to have seen me watching you practice with old man Yosho."

As her daughter revealed her secret, Ryoko blushed heavily, turning mid-air to rail on her, stammering embarrassedly. The words died in her mouth as she saw the first of the clones turn the corner several meters behind them. "Keep going honey… it's not far now." She said, turning back and shooting forward with renewed speed to punch in the access code on the keypad.

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><p><em>More is yet to come! Got a critic's itch you're looking to scratch? Pick this story apart and share your voice to make the next story better!<em>


	11. Find Your Way by Moonlight

**A Dream Unrequited**

Chapter 11

**Find Your Way by Moonlight**

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><p><em>All characters and settings are property of Funimation, not the author<em>

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><p>Howling, the hulking form of Idneous flew through the air and skipped across the floor before slamming into the wall at the far side of the laboratory, denting the plasteel plating. Washu panted, sweat dripping down her face as she wheeled herself into a shizentai, her arms loose at her sides, fists half formed as she rocked on her heels. <em>'I can't keep this up forever… I need to end this…' <em>She furrowed her brow and took a deep breath, feeling her muscles ache from lack of use. '_Too damned long since I've worked out…'_ An uneasy look crossed her face. _'Am I out of shape? Have I been flaunting a flabby body at Tenchi this whole time?'_

Another growl of fury snapped her out of her thoughts as Idneous pounded across the room, fists raised and his shoulders squared, looking less like a man than a raging elephant. As he brought one gnarled hand up to drive Washu into the floor like a nail through wood, she slipped into his body, hooking one foot behind his leg and wrapping one hand into the wiry material of his plug-suit at his neck and with an internal grimace cupping his crotch with the other. As his massive bulk plowed into her, she bent at the waist, allowing his natural inertia to lift his hulking frame from the floor and direct his entire mass towards the floor head first.

Sasami heard the satisfying crunch of bone connecting with steel and couldn't help but grin as she faced down the gently hovering Eygon, her body tagged here and there with purpling bruises. With a grunt she tossed herself aside as another slab of rubble shot past, propelled by the mental grip of the slender man before her. Her pistol was lost amongst the rubble, her beamsword useless at this range and the cannon she had modified was drained of power. She cursed inwardly as she danced aside once again, this piece of concrete and steel rebar skimming her side, causing her to cry out and eliciting a sick little giggle from Eygon.

"_Oh this is so much __**fun**__."_ He drawled as she shot a fierce glare at him. _"Run and skip little rabbit, our game will end soon enough…"_ Eygon flexed his hands, his palms facing up and furrowed his brow. The air around him began to waiver as if his thin form was radiating heat and with a thin lipped grin he thrust his body forward, sending a wave of power tearing towards the woman. As the barely visible rush of mental force ripped across the laboratory Sasami threw herself aside, rolling to her knees behind one of the few surviving desks, seeing she was near the entryway of the lab.

She frantically searched the area for something to use, some kind of weapon or tool to counter the onslaught of Eygon's telekinetic fury. She winced as a filing cabinet smashed against the wall a scant meter from her cover, papers and folders flying around her like frightened birds. As she brushed a dot-matrix spool of arcane characters from off of her head, her eyes landed on a brushed steel box with a pair of straps attached to it and she crab-scrambled forward, trying to maintain her barrier from the assault. She puffed in breath as she unclasped the latches on the box, her eyes lighting up as she saw the contents within.

"_Come and play, come and play little rabbit…"_ Eygon crooned, running his tongue across his teeth, tracing a reversed arc through the air in front of him. Half of a table from within the rubble began to lift, trailing dust and debris as it floated into the air. He spotted a shock of turquoise hair and his eyes went wide as with a flick of his wrist it shot forward, screaming through the air. His grin faded as instead of a delicious crunch a metallic clang echoed in the space. His eyes went wider as he saw a red and chrome hand clutching the edge of the table, wrinkling the thick metal.

With a smirk Sasami stood, the contents of the steel box fitted to her hands, trailing braided cords back into the confines of the open rectangular box she had slipped onto her back. The mechanical gauntlets she wore hissed with hidden pistons as they released the absorbed energy of the impact. A gyroscopic disk set inside the steel box began to spin and whine as she pulled her arm back then launched the table forward as if weightless. As it drew close to her intended target it almost audibly screeched to a stop, hovering midair as power waivered around it.

Eygon laughed, lifting his arms together in front of himself and 'grabbing' the table before him and pulled his hands apart violently. With a tortured shriek the molded steel table shredded into scraps of razor-edged shrapnel, each winking shard floating for a moment before falling as he saw Sasami standing just in front of him. The desk she had hidden behind was gripped between the mecha gloves, held like some kind of massive club over her shoulder. A slight smirk spread across her face as her eyes twinkled with malice. His face fell as he watched her draw the solid steel, six foot long desk back and whip it forward.

"_Shi…"_

The clang resounded through the ruined lab and Eygon crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut, flying backwards to slam into a pile of debris. Sasami set the desk down with a clank, the face of it now sporting a rather sizable dent. She turned and saw Washu panting as sweat dripped down her face, giving her a slight smile and shooting her a thumbs-up. The scientist chuckled wearily and returned the gesture, starting gingerly forward to meet up with the younger princess, stepping over bits of her beloved lab.

"Not bad." Washu sighed out heavily, leaning backwards with her fists in the small of her back, cracking her spine with a series of muted reports. "Who, or rather _what_ were those two?" She asked, wiping the back of her hand across her brow.

"I don't know… Eygon? Idneous? What kind of names are those?" Sasami wondered aloud, flexing her fingers in the metal gauntlets, making them hiss and creak as hidden pistons pumped strength into them through the braided cords. "Washu… the city…" She gasped, finally noticing the devastation beyond the crumbling hole in the wall.

More than half of the city was in ruins, what hadn't collapsed was burning or shedding concrete and plasteel paneling from meteorite impacts. The shower of meteors had slowed, but the azure fire that had shrouded the screaming comets had given way to orange and dark red flames that coughed up greasy black smoke in billowing towers, spreading out as they rose to blanket the city in an acrid cloud. Galaxy police shuttles buzzed through the air, claxons sounding as they fired missiles and cannon shells to intercept the meteors that still fell over the city. Sirens and screams wafted up the hundred stories to where Washu and Sasami stood, a chill riding up the scientists' spine.

"My God… What is happening?" She asked, stepping to the edge of the hole punched through into the lab, placing her hand on what remained of the wall as she looked out down into the city. Peering through the smoke she saw the streets boiling with bodies. The highways and roads below clogged with people and crashed shuttles, looking nothing less than a moving carpet of specks. Squinting down at the city far below she thought she saw masses of blue interspersed with the fleeing populace.

"Sasami… pass me that pair of binoc…" She stopped mid turn as she heard the rubble where Eygon lay begin to shift as he slowly lifted himself to his hands and knees, his head hanging at an odd angle. Letting out a strangled grunt, his head began to twist until his neck cracked with a sharp popping sound, the bones crunching together as they settled. He lifted his head to face the pair, growling through bared teeth as blood flowed down from his brow like a red mask to drip from his chin.

As he shakily climbed to his feet, Washu and Sasami readied themselves for his attack, their teeth bared and fists raised. With a sound like a cork being pulled from a bottle, Idneous slipped his head from the depression in the floor, shaking it back and forth like a dog as his skull filled out, bones crackling back into place as his skull fused together again.

Turning to stand back to back, the pair of women felt a cold sweat break out on their bodies as fear gripped them. The sound of molecular teleportation drew their attention, turning just in time to see a wave of golden energy wash over them. Sasami held out longer than her genius counterpart, watching through squinted eyes as the magenta haired woman reeled before her own vision turned to sparks of color and darkness as well. The blast sent both women tumbling against the wall of the lab where they slumped, their eyelids fluttering.

Sego stood in the ruined lab, panting heavily as the cauterized ends of his arms throbbed, swollen and inflamed. "We have to go… NOW." He growled, striding forward and waving his stumps at Eygon, his expression manic. "I. CAN'T. HEAL!" He shrieked, all poise lost in his fury and fear.

"_No… We can't regenerate, we can heal… You fool, where are your arms?"_ The whip-like Tenchi double hissed, stepping forward and clapping a hand on his twin's shoulder. _"You could have fitted yourself back together, but you can't replicate yourself! I WARNED you about that!"_

"**Heh, want me to lend you a hand there, Sego?"** Idneous chuckled, sounding like a cement mixer full of rocks tumbling.

"SHUT UP YOU BUMBLING SIMPLETON!" Sego screamed, his voice high pitched and shrill. He hissed breath in through clenched teeth as he started towards the hulking beast. Eygon pressed a hand to Sego's chest, stopping him midstride.

Idneous snarled at the long haired Sego before a stern look from Eygon silenced him. He knuckled over to the pair, grinning wide then stopped and probed his tongue into the gaps in his grin. His eyes went wide as he looked pleadingly at Eygon. **"Eygon! I lost some teeths!" **His face twisted into a mixture of anger and helplessness.

"_Look, I told you both that you had to be careful…" _He rubbed his neck, making a face. _"I… WE shouldn't have underestimated these people. And that boy is part of the Master as well… No wonder he's so strong." _He shook his head, glancing over at the women still crumpled against the wall, watching as they began to stir.

"_We need to go. The Master will know what to do."_ A thin lipped grin spread across his face as he nodded over his shoulder to the gaping hole in the wall. _"Our brothers will finish this job till we can return."_ The others nodded and closed their eyes, letting Eygon place a hand on each of their shoulders. With a whiff of ozone and a sharp thunderclap, the three were gone leaving behind a small scorch mark on the floor where they had stood.

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><p>Her head spinning and ears still ringing with the sound of the trio teleporting away, Washu climbed to her feet with a groan. <em>'This whole unconscious thing is getting way too commonplace around here…'<em> She thought as her body creaked and stung from the trials of the battle. She stood woozily, steadying herself as Sasami blinked awake as well, lifting a hand to hold her head.

"We need to find Tenchi and Ryo-" The wall access to her lab hissed as it turned translucent and Tenchi, Ryoko and Ryo-Ohki plowed in, panting hard. "-Ko?" She finished lamely, a confused look spreading across her face.

"MOM!" Ryoko cried, rushing forward and stopping as she saw the wrecked lab, gasping sharply. "Oh my God, are you okay?" She asked swiftly, flying to her side in a flash.

Washu shrugged, making her wince as her back rebelled, tightening up painfully. "Not too much worse for the wear… Lab's seen better days though…" She looked from her daughter's concerned face to the fearful tension in Ryo-Ohki and Tenchi's expressions. "What's going on?"

"Tenchis." Ryo-Ohki replied. "Lots of 'em." She placed a hand on Tenchi's shoulder, looking over her shoulder at the now opaque wall behind them.

"Tenchis? More of them?" Sasami asked incredulously, not relishing the idea of having to fight more of the hulking Tenchi fiends.

"More? You mean you saw them too?" Ryoko asked, viewing the destruction wrought through the room. "Did they do this?"

As if in answer an echoing impact struck the wall leading back to the passageway. The five jumped and turned sharply to stare at the wall behind them, visibly shaken. Another impact resounded into the lab and an arc of power crackled across its surface, briefly giving a glimpse of the horror that waited beyond. The passage behind the wall was packed from side to side with Tenchi clones, moving in synch as they pushed and beat at the semi-permeable surface.

"We have to run…" Tenchi gasped, his skin taking on a sickly sheen as fear gripped him. "We have to get out of here."

"Where can we go?" Ryoko asked, spreading her arms wide. "We're trapped here and unless you've got a shuttle somewhere about your body that I didn't find, I don't see any way out of…"

"The mountain." Washu said in a soft, monotone voice.

"What?" The others asked, turning to face her.

Washu turned and ran towards the far wall of her lab. After exchanging a glance Ryoko, Sasami, Tenchi and Ryo-Ohki followed fast on her heels. As they tore across the ruin of electronics, chemical containers, failed inventions and forgotten plans a sparking explosion sounded behind them as the incessant pounding of the Tenchi clones finally broke through the access wall. Wave after wave of the clones walked in time over the wildly phasing rubble. More than one became trapped in a suddenly solid piece of the wall that had just been permeable, falling to the ground to be trampled without a care by its brothers, its stiff grin never fading as it was crushed under countless feet.

Redoubling their speed, the fleeing group met Washu near the rear of her lab, facing a bare wall. "What… the hell… Mom?" Ryoko asked as she slowed, breathing hard and glancing over her shoulder to gauge the ever dwindling distance between them and the clones.

Washu reached out, a bracelet on her wrist blinking gently as her hand drew close to the wall and passed through it. Pulling back a door surfaced as if from under water, the wall flowing back to reveal the portal. The door was light brown and curved at its apex with a very familiar black circle near the top. She turned the handle and opened the door, the opening filled with a near blinding light.

As their eyes adjusted, the crystal blue sky and emerald green forests of the mountain surrounding the Masaki shrine came into view. The lake below glistened and sparkled in the mid-afternoon sunlight, sending shimmering reflections against the home Tenchi grew up in as it rested near the pier.

"Go, now." Washu ordered, ushering everyone in. Ryo-Ohki nodded sternly and pushed into the light, pausing and leaning up to kiss Washu on the cheek, her armor flashing brilliant indigo in the sudden light as she ran towards the sanctuary they had all come to know as home.

Ryoko followed after, clapping her mother on the shoulder and nodding to Tenchi. "Come on, we have to go, they're not far behind now."

Tenchi turned, watching the flood of clones storm over Washu's beloved lab, reducing everything not destroyed by the battle between the feminine powerhouses and the titans of mind and muscle to worthless scrap. He clenched his teeth and furrowed his brow, shaking his head.

"No."

Washu, Ryoko and Sasami stared at him, their eyes wide.

"I'm not running…" He said, his teeth bared as he concentrated and drew a line of energy in front of himself with his hands, the line bursting to life into a broad beamsword. "This is connected to me somehow, and I'm not going to back down."

Sasami positioned herself beside him, drawing her own blade and flexing her free hand, the heavy metal glove hissing and whining as it powered up. "Tenchi…"

He glanced over at the young princess, who gazed back at him, her eyes shining. "Tenchi… Don't leave me again..." She said softly, making his brow furrow in confusion.

"I…what?" He asked, tilting his head slightly. With one motion her hand shot out, gripping his shirt and throwing him back, making him stumble into Washu, who grabbed his arms and held him fast. His blade shimmered into nothingness as his hands were wrenched behind his back.

"S-Sasami! No!" He shouted, trying to wrestle against Washu, wincing as she locked his wrists together.

"Washu, you take care of him, okay?" The young princess asked as the sea of Tenchi clones drew closer.

The magenta haired scientist nodded grimly as she pushed him into the doorway. "I will." She said softly, blinking away a tear that threatened her vision.

"Sasami! SASAMI!" Tenchi screamed, kicking and twisting in Washu's grip as he disappeared into the blinding light of the countryside he knew so well. His last glimpse of the lab before he passed the threshold was Sasami, standing stoically in the path of destruction. Her blade flashing in the glare of what lights remained in the lab and the mechanisms in the control box for her gauntlets pulsing as the flood of Tenchis broke against her like water over a rock.

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><p>"NO! NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!" Tenchi yelled again and again, pounding the rock cliff-side Washu's door had deposited them outside of. His fists plunged into the rock, reducing it to dust and shards as his skin split, blood dripping down to his elbow.<p>

"Tenchi, stop it!" Ryoko cried, reaching out to catch his arms but pulling back as he rounded on her, his hands slinging splattering droplets of blood to the grass below their feet.

"WHY? Why did you let her do that?" He screamed, tears streaming down his cheeks. "She didn't have to do that! I could have helped! I could have fought! I could have…" He choked back a sob as he slipped down to his knees, cradling his cracked and bleeding hands in his lap as tears dripped from his chin.

Washu breathed out slowly through her nose, her lower lip trembling gently as she stood, facing the wall with her arms crossed. "It was her gift to you…" She said softly.

Tenchi sniffed and ran the back of his hand across his nose, smearing blood across one cheek. Washu turned to look at him, her eyes red and brimming with tears. "She's giving you time, the only thing she could." She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands and let out a shuddering sigh. When she dropped them back to her sides her gaze was steely and her face serious.

"If you want to fight this, you need to start. Right now."

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><p><em>Have issues with the story? Something you want to see happen? Find an error or grammar issue? Let me know! I'm not just writing for myself, but for you who are gracious enough to read the fruits of my imagination, so if there's something I can do to make the experience more enjoyable, don't be shy! Stay tuned true believers!<em>


	12. By what Eternal Streams

**A Dream Unrequited**

Chapter 12

**By what Eternal Streams**

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><p><em>The characters in this story are owned by Funimation, not the author<em>

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><p>Sucking in a shuddering breath, Tenchi ran his forearm across his eyes and tried to calm himself. He looked from Washu back to the rock wall, the cliff-face pocked with the red-streaked impressions of his fists and sheets of stone crumbled into a dusty pile in the grass below. He gritted his teeth, trying to wipe from his mind the image of Sasami standing so bravely in the wave of Tenchi clones. The young, bright princess whom he had never seen so much as raise a hand in anger, the sweet girl who looked so natural holding a spatula and sharing her love through her cooking.<p>

Now, so steely and vicious when she wanted to be, the vibrant young woman forgotten and lost behind those cold eyes and hard-edged stance. Her hands had changed to hold a gun and a blade more easily than to offer a warm embrace or a home cooked meal. Now she inspired fear and awe, one of the most powerful people on the planet. She was a leader, a mentor and a friend.

Gone, in an instant.

A fresh wave of sorrow gripped him, making him squeeze his eyes shut and wrap his arms around his chest tightly, trying to calm the painful pounding of his heart. He choked back a sob as he slowly climbed to his feet, Washu stepping in and placing a hand on his shoulder. She took a steadying breath, her face stony but her eyes threatening tears as well.

"We can't let this go to waste, Tenchi." She said, failing to keep a waiver out of her voice. "We don't have much time to spare and we've got a lot of work to do." She paused, her hand lingering on his shoulder for a moment before she pulled him into a tight hug, burying her face into his shoulder. "I'm so sorry Tenchi… I'm so sorry."

Tenchi bit his lip hard enough that he tasted the iron tang of blood, nodding gently as he squeezed her back and swallowed another rush of tears. They slowly pulled apart, Washu taking his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze before letting go. "I'll… go talk to Ryo-Ohki and get the house ready…" A knowing look passed from mother to daughter, making Ryoko flush and look away.

The tall, magenta haired scientist cleared her throat and nodded. "You two take as much time as you need." She walked slowly down the path towards the vast Masaki household, glancing over her shoulder at the pair before she disappeared below the curve of the hill and down the stair.

Ryoko watched her mother leave, then let out a slow sigh and ran her fingers through her cyan hair, her own eyes burning with the loss of their turquoise haired companion. She tilted her head back and took a breath, gazing up at the crystal clear azure sky as her heart ached in her breast. _'You damned fool, you don't have to always try to be a hero.'_

"But she was."

Tenchi's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, making her twist around and look at him. He had slipped off his tunic, tying it around his waist and stood in his undershirt examining the cracks and splits in the skin of his hands. He let out a depreciative chuckle, looking back at her and showing her the back of his hand.

"Already starting to heal." He said with a sad smile and indeed the hundreds of tiny cuts that speckled his hands were sealing slowly as his blood dried to dark crackled streaks on his skin. He let his arms fall to his sides as the gravity of their situation struck home. In the scant few days since he'd been reborn the world he once knew had turned on its head, and he couldn't see how it wasn't in some way his fault.

He clenched his fists, trembling as his red-rimmed eyes burned and threatened to shed well deserved tears. His body ached with the stress of the fight and despite his newfound capabilities he was exhausted. He took a step forward and reeled, his head spinning as he fought to keep his balance. As he felt his knees give out, a strong hand caught him and lifted him to his feet.

Ryoko stood beside him, smiling sadly as she pulled his arm over her shoulder to support him. Her smile faltered for a moment as their gazes locked and she looked away towards the house below. The crystal clear lake that hugged the south face of the sprawling structure reflected the 'sun' above in sparkling ripples; sending waves of light to dance against the beige plaster siding and maroon tiles of the roof. Tenchi leaned on her, taking small shuffling steps as they walked slowly down the stone staircase towards the clearing below.

Even though she'd visited the place their misfit family had come to know as home many times since Washu had secreted it away, it still amazed Ryoko at how pristine the countryside was compared to the bustling city they lived in every day. The entire ecosystem was intact, maintained and protected from the changing planet, preserved in this tiny slice of a world. A bird chirped from a nearby branch and flitted away as the pair made their slow progress down the hillside, gingerly stepping down the worn granite staircase.

She felt her heart catch in her chest as her mind flooded with images of the destruction they had been witness to not but an hour earlier. The contrast was startling as she paused, gazing out over the lush green groves of oak, beech and ginko, their leaves swaying gently in the breeze as flashes of meteorites punching through skyscrapers and the deadly blue flames consuming everything in their wake. She shook her head for a moment as her pulse pounded in her neck.

"Ryoko…" Tenchi said softly, his skin pale with exhaustion. She steeled herself, quelling the tremor of horror that gripped her deep in the pit of her stomach, offering him a slight smile and shaking her head.

"Please, don't worry, I'm fine. Let's get you down to the house to get some rest, alright?" She lied through her teeth as she led him down the steps, trying not to think about what they had left behind.

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><p>Washu stood in the living area, twisting a strand of her magenta hair around her finger and wincing each time another crash sounded from upstairs, each one punctuated by inarticulate, animalistic cries. She started, standing up straight as Tenchi and Ryoko came in, gasping softly as she saw him draped over her shoulder. She took a quick step closer only to be stopped by Tenchi waving a hand dismissively.<p>

"I… I'm fine, just…" He swallowed hard, shaking his head weakly. "Just really, really tired." He sighed as he shuffled over to the couch with Ryoko's help, slipping into the cushion like a sack of lead bearings. He groaned and slumped back, laying a hand over his eyes. "H-how do you do it?" He asked Ryoko with a soft chuckle.

Ryoko smirked and wiped sweat from her brow. "You get used to it." She said softly and blinking rapidly. Washu's eyes narrowed and she stepped forward to place a hand at the small of her daughter's back, guiding her towards the couch as well.

"You don't look so good yourself. Have a rest, both of you." She chided as she firmly pushed Ryoko into a seat next to Tenchi, clicking her tongue and pushing an ottoman under her feet. "I thought I had a rough time with that Idneous brute, but you two are looking pretty ragged around the edges."

"Mom, I'm fine." Ryoko whined, starting to get up and scowling as Washu pushed her back onto the cushioned seat. She crossed her arms over her chest, pouting as her mother walked to a closet on the far side of the living room and slid the door open to pull a folded blanket from one of the shelves.

"You don't LOOK fine, that's the problem." She said as she snapped the blanket open, tossing it over the pair and tucking it around them. Ryoko blushed hotly as Washu snugged the duvet under Tenchi's body, wiggling away slightly from him. "You need to rest and recover your strength, he's going to need you."

"M-Mom…" Ryoko said softly as her cheeks burned, twisting under the blanket to keep from pressing against Tenchi. "What are you doing?"

Washu lifted an eyebrow at her daughter, her mouth a line. "Really?" She stood up straight and crossed her arms over her chest as she looked down at Ryoko, blushing like a schoolgirl and wriggling like Tenchi had 'cooties'. "So now you're so uncomfortable around him? Like the two of you didn't…"

A snore cut her off as Tenchi's head rolled to the side, a rivulet of drool hanging from his lower lip. Her face tightening up as the string of saliva slowly drooped towards her, Ryoko scrambled to get out of the blanket, becoming tangled and tumbling to the floor with a thud. Washu smirked and knelt, offering her beet-red daughter a hand and helping her to her feet.

"You mean you…" Ryoko began, trying not to meet her mother's eyes.

"I knew?" Washu chuckled, her hands on her hips. "Ryoko, you've been all but trembling to get your hands on him since he woke up. As furious as you were at him and as much as he hurt you, part of you still loved him." She twisted her lips into a wry smirk as Ryoko fidgeted nervously, rubbing her wrist. "Plus, I can all but smell him on you. So, how was it after so long?" She asked as she turned, grinning manically while Ryoko fumed.

Another crash sounded from upstairs, followed by a rapid fire rattle of obscenities and half-garbled words, breaking Washu's levity in a heartbeat. Her face fell as she rubbed her arms and took a deep breath. "Oh Ryo-Ohki…" She sighed, shaking her head.

Ryoko looked up at the ceiling as thuds sounded through the wood and glass shattered, something having crashed to the floor at force. "You told her about Sasami?" She said softly, watching as Washu nodded. "Shit… My poor girl." She bit her lip and closed her eyes, barely able to comprehend how her 'daughter' was hurting; having lost the one truest friend she'd had in her life. In their youth, Sasami and Ryo-Ohki were inseparable, and even as they grew they remained as close as friends could be.

"Should I go and…?" Ryoko started, gesturing towards the staircase.

Washu shook her head, sighing softly again. "Give her some time. We'll go talk to her when she's calmed down a bit." She shook her magenta hair and smoothed it back, letting out a deep breath as she rubbed her eyes. "Go get some rest, honey. I've got to get to work."

Ryoko smiled softly, tilting her head. "Need an assistant?" She asked as she fell in step behind her mother, following her to the door set into the side of the staircase. "I don't feel much like resting now." She laid a hand on Washu's shoulder, smirking and giving her a playful shove. "You never were much good without me anyways."

With a chuckle, Washu shoved her daughter back and opened the door with a touch, a crab-shaped bell knocking against the doorframe with a soft clonking noise. "What about Tenchi? Don't you want to be there when he wakes up?" They paused in the dark doorway, looking back at the sleeping man. Ryoko allowed herself a small smile and shook her head.

"He's got enough to worry about when he wakes up. Maybe we can help with some of it before that happens." She frowned as Ryo-Ohki let out a wail from upstairs, the sound of it tugging at her weeping heart. She clenched her fists and stopped in the doorway, letting out a sigh. "Go on without me, mom. I can't let her go through this alone." Washu only smiled softly as a wordless agreement passed between the two. She leaned in close and kissed Ryoko on the cheek, a proud grandmother and prouder mother as she strode into the darkened portal.

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><p>The staircase up to the second floor was untouched until Ryoko reached the first landing, frowning as she traced her fingers along a ragged hole in the wall about the size of Ryo-Ohki's fist. Her fingertips came back white with plaster dust as she heard another half-hearted smash coming from the rooms above. She brushed them off on her skirt as she continued up the staircase, further marks of anger and pain streaking the walls ahead. Another hole punched through the drywall, a ragged tear along one side of the staircase leading up to splinter into one of the studs that was now exposed through the plaster and the top step was cracked in two, either end bowed up slightly as it bent in the middle.<p>

She shook her head and bit her lip gently as she walked along the same hallways she had for years before, it's walls and paneled flooring bringing back pangs of nostalgia. The room Sasami and Ayeka had shared lay ahead a few meters down the hall, its sliding door thrown from its tracks and hanging open at an awkward angle. Gingerly, she stepped closer and peered into the room, her heart dropping at the sight.

Shelves had been torn from the wall, leaving puckered holes that dribbled plaster dust down the wallpaper. A lamp had been shattered across the floor, bits of glass twinkling in the light that shone through the shattered window, its drapes shredded and piled in a frayed mess on the floor below it. A dresser that sat against the far wall had been smashed and bore several deep gouges in the old, heavy wood. The drawers were pulled out and scattered across the floor, each one split, the bottoms punched out and snapped. The mirror that sat above the dresser was broken into a web of slivers, the fractured reflection of the wrecked room mocking her as she stepped slowly into the carnage.

Curled into one corner of the room, Ryo-Ohki sat, holding a dusty futon close to her body. She had shed her crystalline armor and sat in a simple white jumper and loose slacks, her feet bare. Her eyes dripped a steady flow of tears down her softly furred face, unblinking, as she wore the glazed expression of a body pushed too far beyond feeling to respond. A breeze from the broken window sent her messy two-toned hair ruffling and she sniffed softly, squeezing the soft mattress tighter to her body.

Ryoko walked slowly across the room, toeing past the shards of glass and smashed furniture. She came to where Ryo-Ohki sat staring into the distance, her eyes not even flicking towards her mother's approach. With a heavy sigh, she sat down beside the teenager, hugging her knees as she leaned back against the wall behind them. Both sat for a long time, silent as the 'sun' slowly dipped across the sky, changing from crystal blue to a heady mauve and slowly darkening as dusk approached.

Ryoko shifted as the light faded slowly from the room, wincing as she felt her muscles groan, locked and numb from sitting on the hard floor for so long. Ryo-Ohki continued to stare off into the distance, not really looking at anything as she leaned over, laying her head on Ryoko's shoulder and making her jump slightly. "She's gone… isn't she?" She asked in a quiet voice, hoarse and cracked from screaming and crying.

As she settled, leaning back against her 'daughter', Ryoko sighed and nodded sullenly. Sasami was strong, no doubt about that, and through her training and hard work had become a fearsome opponent to anyone, but against that horde even Ryoko didn't think she'd have a chance. "I'm sorry honey." She said softly, slipping an arm around the teenager and pulling her close. "She did it for us, so we could all get away." She clicked her tongue and made a face, swearing under her breath. "That doesn't make it better…"

Ryo-Ohki just sighed, all her tears cried out long before as the sun slowly dipped behind the mountain, glazing the peaks in the final remnants of its brief gold. "She loved watching the sun set from here…" She croaked softly and gave the futon another squeeze, sniffing it quietly. Ryoko looked out the window, struck by the blazing light that haloed the mountains ringing the Masaki house, the brilliance and simple beauty of it making her heart grow warm. She nodded gently and held her 'daughter' close, both sitting and watching the sky till darkness fell over them both, leaving them to snuggle into the corner of the ruined room that smelled so sweetly of the princess lost.

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><p>Tenchi blinked hard, rubbing his eyes as the room slowly came into focus. He pulled the blanket from his body, chuckling softly as he groaned and stretched. <em>'I must have fallen asleep watching television…' <em> He thought, looking out over the lake as the wind made ripples dance across its glassy surface. The moon, full and bright, waivered in the water as it shone brightly from up above. He stood and walked to the open patio door, breathing in the sweet smell of the evening air as the cobwebs cleared from his mind.

'_What an awful dream…'_ He sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair, running them down his face and stopping as he felt stubble scratch at his palm. A shiver ran up his spine as he rushed to the edge of the pier, gazing down into the mirror-like surface of the lake. His face stared back at him, but not the youthful one he expected. Stubble darkened his cheeks and the handsome angles of his face spoke of a mature man, his hands trembling as he fell to his knees. "It… it wasn't a dream." He said, gripping the edge of the pier.

"No, it wasn't…"

He turned to see Washu standing in the doorway leading to the living area, a steaming cup in each hand. She stepped forward, kneeling down and handing Tenchi one of the cups, grunting softly as she sat down on the wooden planking, letting her feet dangle into the water below them. Tenchi sat back on his heels as he held the cup in his hands, the warmth of the ceramic mug seeping into him through his arms. He took a sip of the strong tea, feeling it suffuse him with heat as he settled back and looked out over the serene lake.

"Where's Ryoko?" He asked, taking another sip.

"Sleeping with Ryo-Ohki." Washu replied as she sipped her own tea, rolling the cup between her palms. "That whole ordeal took a lot more out of her than she wanted to admit, and Ryo-Ohki…" She clicked her teeth, letting out a long, slow sigh. "I figured I'd let them rest." She managed a small smile as she looked over at him, placing a hand on his thigh. "You too for that matter."

Tenchi returned the smile, taking her hand and squeezing it reassuringly. He saw the dark rings under the scientists eyes and shook his head, setting the cup of tea down on the planking. "Here you are worried about us and you're running yourself ragged." He chuckled, standing and pulling her up with him. "You need to rest too. What have you been doing?"

She dusted off her shorts as he retrieved his mug, smiling softly. "Is it that obvious?" She chuckled, rubbing her tired eyes. "I started off working on a little something for you… With your new abilities I figured you might need a little help keeping yourself in check." She walked with him towards the door set into the staircase and pushed it open with her free hand. "I suppose you could say I got a little… distracted."

She led him into the expansive lab, the doorway opening into a vast, well-lit grotto sprinkled with trees and ferns. A huge circular platform dominated the area, the sound of trickling water from a river flowing around the edge of the room echoing into the high arched ceiling. In the center of the circular space a cushion sat, floating gently a couple of feet above the paneled flooring. As pristine as the scene was, one glaring detail detracted from the peaceful aura the grotto emitted.

A dozen shadowy planes floated around the cushion in a half-circle, each displaying a live feed from the city beyond the borders of their dimensional pocket. Tenchi paled as he saw the city from high above, mostly obscured by smoke from the hundreds of fires below, another monitor showing droves of his doppelgangers flooding the streets of the city. As he watched, a pocket of these beings separated from the main body to smash their way into the lobby of a high-rise and disappear from sight. A moment later a brilliant flash emitted through the shattered windows, followed by a terrible roar as fire and smoke blasted through the remaining panes of glass. With a tremble the building rained down concrete dust and shed planks of plasteel exterior to fall to the street, sending up a cloud of dust and crushing several of the uncaring clones.

Unfazed, the mob pressed on, pouring like a single unstoppable form over a barricade to tear at the feeble defenses beyond. A band of citizens had gathered together, brandishing firearms and makeshift weapons and trying to fight off the oncoming horde. He had to look away as the swarm closed over them, wincing at the sight of it and glad the monitors didn't offer sound as well. Tenchi sighed and risked another glance at the screens, the brave defenders no-where to be seen. He continued to watch the destruction that passed over the city beyond their sanctuary and felt prickling heat creep into his eyes.

"I…" He swallowed hard and shook his head slowly. "I can see why you got distracted..." He said softly, tearing his eyes from the horror that had fallen onto the metropolis to look over at the scientist. She sighed and nodded, her eyelids heavy as she watched the screens. He turned from the video feed and laid a hand on her shoulder, guiding her away. "Come on, you need to rest." She shook her head, pulling gently away from his grip.

"I need to observe them… learn from them so we can beat them…" She sighed, her words trailing into a wide-mouthed yawn. Tenchi smirked and took her shoulders in his hands, pushing her back and away from the display.

"I'll stay up and keep an eye on it. I'll write down anything odd that I notice, alright?" He smiled softly and leaned in, kissing her forehead tenderly. "You were kind enough to let me rest, now it's your turn." He pulled back, smiling as her cheeks flushed slightly. "I'll come and get you if anything goes wrong… Or worse, I mean." He said with a half-hearted chuckle.

Begrudgingly, she allowed herself to be pushed towards an alcove set into the side of the grotto, letting Tenchi lead her to the small room she kept ready for late nights in the lab. She blushed as he laid her into the bed and pulled the covers up to snug under her chin, barely noticing when he closed the sliding door behind himself as the sweet embrace of sleep wrapped around her.

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><p><em>The stars shone brightly through the inky blackness of space, pinpricks of brilliance in an endless void.<em> _A trillion galaxies spun in the darkness, dancing their eternal ballet through the ages of man and beast. To look down at the swirling light and piercing darkness would be to gaze into the eyes of madness. And the face of God._

_The sisters stood together, their backs touching as they looked out into the furthest reaches of the galaxy. Auburn, magenta and turquoise hair mingled as they spoke with the fury of a billion super novae._

"_We have failed."_

"_The balance is tipped."_

"_We must unite, or all is lost."_

"_They are as locust, their reach must be maintained."_

"_The experiment has lost control."_

"_That is certain now, dear sister."_

"_The connection is still present."_

"_Could he be the one?"_

"_Only he has the will for this task."_

"_He has faltered before."_

"_He was but a child then."_

"_No less so now."_

"_We must have faith."_

"_What we must do is burn this cancer from our plane."_

"_Even now it warps the universe."_

"_Can we even…?"_

"_There is a way."_

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><p>Washu started, sitting up sharply and blinking in the faint light of the room. Tenchi was shaking her awake, his eyes wide.<p>

"Miss Washu! You have to come quick!" He snapped, his words clipped and frantic.

Stumbling out of the bed she raced across the small room, almost slipping and falling in her haste. She followed Tenchi out and into the lab, staring up at the screens. Her eyes flitted from one to the next until she spotted what shocked him so. A tear trickled down her cheek as her emerald eyes grew wide.

"…Get the girls."

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><p>Ryoko and Ryo-Ohki stumbled along after Tenchi as he all but dragged them down the staircase. Both had slipped into a restless slumber in the princesses wrecked room, waking quickly when Tenchi came bowling into the ruin, tripping and falling over a splintered night stand to crash onto the floor. Ryo-Ohki rubbed the sleep from her eyes as they descended the stair, Tenchi grabbing the banister and almost spinning around the curve to reach the door of Washu's lab.<p>

"Come on!" He urged, ushering mother and daughter into the dark portal and the grotto beyond. Washu sat at her monitors, typing frantically at a gauzy keyboard hovering before her. "Do you have it yet, Washu?" He asked, panting for air as the trio came to a stop behind the scientist.

"Almost… got it… there!" She said proudly, hitting a final key. The screens suddenly shifted, showing a heavily barricaded street with easily a hundred people milling about behind the weighted slabs of metal and improvised defenses. The crowd stood in easy, well-practiced lines, some kneeling while others stood behind them, firing quick and controlled blasts into the oncoming swarm of Tenchi clones. Dozens of the clones burst into fragments of light, but still more flooded to take their places.

Though ripped and stained, the blue and grey uniforms of the Galaxy Police and the emblazoned jumpsuits of the Perimeter Defense Force stood out against the darkened city streets. Flood-lamps lit the area to near noon-brightness as wave after wave of the Tenchi clones fell to the marksmanship of the officers.

A flash of golden hair showed on one of the monitors and a few keystrokes from Washu brought Mihoshi Kuramitsu into focus on one of the monitors. Her face was streaked with blood and she had shed the top of her uniform, stripped down to the grey jumpsuit underneath, her sleeves rolled up as she tended to a wounded man. She deftly bound his bleeding arm in gauze as he winced, her face lighting up as she talked softly to him, smoothing his matted hair down.

Another screen lit up with a cyan haired woman yelling into a radio, Noike Kamiki Jurai slamming her fist down on the makeshift table, sending a tin cup of water flying to the side to spill across the steaming asphalt.

A third screen displayed a woman in torn finery, her council gown all but shredded and wearing a pair of obviously borrowed slacks underneath. She threw her arms wide, summoning a curved wall of crackling energy to block the path of Tenchi clones, her indigo hair blowing in the backlash of power, having long since freed from its severe bun. Ayeka Masaki Jurai shouted something over her shoulder as a group of officers arranged themselves behind the shield, firing volleys of blasts as the princess dropped the shield and sending the clones scattering to sparkle on the wind.

A commotion started in the north corner of the blocked-off road, a mass of clones having broken through the barricades. Officers rushed to fend them off but the first arrivals were tossed aside like toys, several badly injured as the clones tore into their bodies with an almost animalistic fury, their faces never changing from that horrible soulless grin. Several officers formed teams to move secondary barricades into place, taking position behind them and providing cover fire for the teams still near the breach. The flow of Tenchis became greater as they continued to force the barricades apart and crawl over them, leaping and vaulting to ravage the defending officers.

As an officer turned to sound the alarm, a clone leapt onto his back, pinning him and tearing into his flesh with its ragged nails. He screamed soundlessly as his uniform was shredded and brilliant red blood began to stain the fabric. Suddenly a line of blue-green light passed through the clone, sending both halves of it spinning off in separate directions before they burst into dazzling light. The scene zoomed out in time to see the figure holding the energy blade drop it and kneel, a heavy cannon resting on their shoulder. The officers beyond turned suddenly, as if hearing something and scattered, leaving the field open and the clones momentarily alone. The blinding flash of light from the barrel of the canon sent the video-feed into static for a moment before the image resolved itself again, the street before the figure cleared of clones and the breach empty.

Without missing a beat, the cannoneer stood, dropping their weapon and hastily directing the officers that could stand to seal the breach and carry the wounded off the field to be dressed. Ryo-Ohki's breath caught in her throat as the figure turned, picking up its energy sabre and sheathing it. The woman adjusted the mechanical gauntlets strapped to her arms, red-stained bandages wrapping halfway up each of them. She wore a darkly stained sleeveless shirt that rippled in the hot wind of the burning city, bandages showing underneath. One eye was covered by a folded piece of gauze, held in place by a bandage wrapped around her head and through her short cropped turquoise hair.

Battleworn, wounded and weary, Sasami Masaki Jurai crouched and hefted the cannon to her shoulder again, her expression steely as she turned towards the oncoming hordes of vicious clones beyond the barricades of the south face. A malicious sparkle shone in her uncovered eye and she gestured to the men lined before her. As one, the squadron of men opened fire, dozens of beams of energy hitting their mark as Noike shouted something into her radio. A squadron of GXP shuttles screamed into view and released hellfire on the crowded swarm as missiles streaked to find their targets among the clones. Haloed in fire, the light of the explosions sending shadows dancing crazily across her face, Grand Marshall Masaki just smiled.

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><p><em>I hope you've enjoyed this latest chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Question, concerns, criticisms and complements are all welcome! Don't be shy and don't miss the next installment of 'A Dream Unrequited'!<em>


	13. Never a Morn for Thee

**A Dream Unrequited**

Chapter 13

**Never a Morn for Thee**

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><p><em>All characters and settings are property of Funimation, not the author<em>

* * *

><p>The endless plain of space stretched out before him, eerily bleak in the inky blackness. His robes hung motionless as he sat, legs crossed, suspended in the void. A corona of gauzy ice crystals hung around his body like a curtain in the unwavering cold that was deep space as the remnants of dead stars turned a slow orbit around him. Where once hung a thousand stars, speckling the night sky with their brilliance only ruin remained, devoured by hatred and lust for power, stripping the vacuum bare and leaving it to swirl with darkness.<p>

As his eyes opened that same brilliance that once shed glory into the bleak outstretches of the universe shone forth again. In a nebula of shifting hues, his body suffused with light and heat, vaporizing his frozen shroud. As a plug pulled from a drain, the ruin of stars that hung around him swirled forth as a maelstrom to coalesce around him, shifting and boiling with activity. Through his piercing golden eyes Mikaboshi watched as atoms shifted and split, their terrible energy focused through his will, shaping the dead hearts of stars to his desires.

Those effulgent eyes slowly died, the celestial brilliance that shone forth fading away as his eyelids slid shut and he settled into the massive, newly formed throne, an opulent thing formed of ivory and freshly polished gold. Before him spread a courtyard, resplendent in its creation, formed from the ruin of what once were massive orbs of blazing elements. The floor of the hall gleamed, slabs of bone colored marble above jutting spears of crystal, the tiles shining as if lit from within. Massive columns of twisting, woven glass struck through with veins of gold and emerald stretched high above and flowed with crystal clear water that trickled down through the interlaced tubes. The gentle stream tinkled against the glass as it fell, filling the space with a discordant chiming tune.

Several staggered tiers of the ivory marble led down from the throne, interspersed with trenches that flowed with the water from the columns, pouring off into space in gentle waterfalls that sparkled in the void as they froze into flurries of ice. A dome stretched over the space, barely visible against the darkness and webbed with the branches of a titanic tree, its viridian leaves swaying gently of their own accord against the vacuum of space. The gargantuan trunk of the tree spread out around and below the expansive courtyard, forming a warren of arching and twisted tunnels, its roots gnarled into knots and trailing below the suspended palace.

A thunderclap echoed in the domed space as Eygon, Idneous and Sego appeared before Mikaboshi's throne and fell prostrate at his feet. The God Tenchi slowly opened his eyes, momentarily flooding the domed space with a flash of empyreal hues as a soft smile across his face as he regarded the three. He leaned down towards them, as ants they were to him, his stature both stretching to beyond the stars and at the same time finite. He gestured upwards with one enormous hand as he settled back into his throne. The slab of off-white marble rose slowly until it was eye-level with the Godly being, the genuflecting Tenchi clones rising slowly to their feet as the slab stopped with barely a whisper.

"_**My Sons, my brothers… What returns you to my presence?"**_ Mikaboshi's voice was barely audible in the expansive courtyard, but seemed to shake the trio to their very core. Eygon was the first to bring himself to speak, his hands trembling.

"_Lord Mikaboshi… We have failed in the task set before us…" _He flinched as the words left his mouth, expecting swift retribution. When none came, he forged tremulously forward. _"The boy and his women proved too resourceful and we were defeated." _Again he fell to his knees, kowtowing before the ethereal being.

Mikaboshi simply smiled softly and projected himself onto the slab of marble. His robes rustled softly as he strode towards the three, his smile deepening as he saw them flinch backwards at his approach. He laid a hand on the shoulders of Sego and Idneous, a thrill shivering up his spine as he heard a choked sob escape Sego's lips.

"_**Fear not, this was to be expected."**_ The God Tenchi intoned, the reverberations of his voice echoed from the arched dome high above and back to wash over the three kneeling clones, losing none of their potency. Idneous blubbered softly at the sound of it and Sego managed to bite back his sobs at the fearsome presence of their God and creator. Only Eygon was bold enough to look up at the divine being, and even then he could not hold eye contact for long before his sclera began to bleed. The whites of his eyes staining a brilliant scarlet and making him clench them shut as he too began to weep, his tears tinged with blood.

Putting a finger to his lips, Mikaboshi shushed the three into a tense silence. In its passing, the sound muted everything for a moment, the trickling water silent as it splashed against the crystalline tubes and the rustling of the great tree's leaves hushed. The divine presence kneeled down with his creations, smiling ethereally. _**"We are but we are, and no greater, my children. This was a mere test for you three, and you have performed spectacularly."**_

His smile deepened as he lifted his arms and placed his hands on the bowed heads of Idneous and Sego, his fingers becoming translucent and slipping into their skulls. Arching back, the two opened their mouths wide in silent, strained screams, veins bulging through their skin as his fingers probed into their minds and pain scored across their nerves. Eygon opened his eyes at the sound of their feeble grunts and straining, his gaunt face traced with reddish streaks. He looked quickly from one then the other and bit back a cry as he turned his eyes to Mikabokshi.

His crimson-stained eyes opened wide as he stared back into the face of terror, Mikaboshi's eyes flashing in the ultraviolet hues of deepest space, large and mad as a grin slowly spread out across his face to expose pointed teeth. His neatly trimmed beard had become wild and tangled, and his flowing ebony hair streamed behind his head. His robes flapped in some personal breeze as he drew closer, only his pupils visible against the spectrum of light that shone from his eyes, pinpricks of darkness in a torrent of color.

Before his mind became blank with searing torment, Eygon saw Mikaboshi become transparent, the enormous projection of his celestial form seated in the expansive throne visible behind him. The God Tenchi leaned in, pushing his head into and past Eygon's face, their minds becoming one. From deep inside his skull and past the nerve stripping agony, two words echoed and vibrated through his mind like an explosion.

"_**SHOW ME…"**_

* * *

><p>Her knees trembling and hands shaking, Ryo-Ohki slid to the floor of the lab. It felt as though her heart would burst through her chest with its furious pounding as relief washed over her like a wave. "S-she's alive." She breathed, the sheer joy of saying it aloud brought a sparkle of moisture to her dehydrated eyes.<p>

With a rather un-ladylike hoot, Ryoko leapt into the air with her fist raised. As she landed she scooped her daughter into her arms and spun the softly furred teenager in a circle, laughing as tears ran down her cheeks. She set her daughter down on her feet and rushed forward, hooking her arms around Tenchi and Washu, pulling both into a bone-crunching hug as she laughed joyfully.

"You crazy bitch!" She yelled, an excited grin on her face. Her eyes went wide and she gasped, pulling back and grabbing Washu's shoulders, turning her to face her. "Y-you… Can you open a gateway there?" She asked, shaking the magenta haired scientist roughly enough to make her head bobble back and forth.

"S-sure, why not?" She replied woozily, her vision spinning slightly.

Ryoko's eyes sparkled as she pushed her mother away, turning her again and guiding her towards a door set into the grotto that led to her laboratory proper. The scientists' feet skipped and dragged across the floor as she was shoved across the polished bamboo flooring. "Wait… what? I… now just hold on… Ryoko…!" Her protests faded gently as the pair moved across the wide expanse and disappeared through the door in the distance.

Tenchi let out a chuckle and knuckled a tear from the corner of his eye, his gaze locked on the screens that showed the women he had feared lost fighting against the droves of mindless clones. And winning. He turned to look at Ryo-Ohki, the teenager having settled onto Washu's floating cushion, her hands clasped in her lap. Her eyes as well were fixed to the streaming images before displayed on the shadow screens. Moisture shimmered across her eyes as she watched, a soft smile on her lips.

He stepped in closer to her and placed his hand gently on her shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze. Her hand found his and closed over it, squeezing back as they watched the four friends grouping around the makeshift table and pouring over maps spread across its surface.

* * *

><p>A huge machine took up the corner of the lab Washu had led her daughter into, an expansive arch climbing up from wide, sloping bases. Each of the vaguely trapezoid-shaped bases had a pair of thick cylinders rising from them, columns of lights ringing them as evenly spaced intervals. A clank sounded from inside one of the bases, a pair of slippered feet protruding from an open panel near the bottom of it.<p>

"I don't see why you can't just do this yourself…" Ryoko grumbled as she used a spanner to tighten a bolt deep inside the body of the machine. She had to wedge herself up and into the tight space, squeezed between a bank of relays and several fist-sized capacitors, streaks of grease on her cheeks and brow. Washu sat aside busily tapping keys on one of her many shadowy computers, the screen displaying several programs calculating trajectories, dimensional placement and computing probabilities of turbulence as Ryoko's feet stuck out from inside the wide, metal paneled contraption.

"Well, you _did_ offer to be my assistant, so assist me!" Washu chirped as she punched data into a shadow-console that hovered at waist-height, numbers flying across the transparent screen. "Besides, if I don't get this trajectory just right we could wind up stuck in a wall somewhere, no good to anyone." She stepped back from the console as the screen folded over to match the keyboard, the entire console disappearing with a soft beeping sound. She knelt beside the open hatch and cupped her hands around her mouth, taking a deep breath. "GOING OKAY IN THERE?"

Ryoko jumped as her mother yelled into the confined space, cracking her head on a metal panel above her, wincing and dropping the spanner to clutch her head. "Damn it Washu!" She groaned as she wormed herself from the guts of the machine. "I got it tightened and calibrated the stabilization drive, plus I switched out one of those old capacitors you had in there, it looked like it was burned out." She grumbled, pulling the corroded capsule from her pocket as she rubbed the crown of her head through her now dusty cyan hair.

The scientist nodded knowingly and tossed the spent piece into a wastebin behind her with a hollow clank. She turned and regarded the wide, arched gateway as she put an arm around Ryoko's shoulder, grinning. "Well thanks to you, this hunk of junk might just work!" Ryoko arched an eyebrow at her and pulled back from her embrace.

"Wait, _might_ work? What are you talking about, I thought this thing was supposed to be 99.99999% accurate?" She asked snidely, waving a hand at the metal-plated portal incredulously. Washu twisted her mouth into a grumpy frown and crossed her arms, standing back from her daughter.

"I'll have you know this thing hasn't been used in over a decade, I'll be surprised if we can even get it started…" She mumbled off, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. Ryoko fumed, grabbing her mother by the collar of her labcoat, pulling her in close enough for their noses to touch.

"You…don't…know…if…it'll…START?" She growled, shaking the scientist roughly. Washu's mouth pulled tight into a stern line, and with a brisk swipe of her arms slapped her daughter's hands away. As the stunned woman reeled back, Washu's hands shot out and pinched her cheeks, pulling them sharply enough to stretch her face slightly.

"Don't you trust me?" Washu asked sweetly as the cyan haired woman flailed and tried not to pull against Washu's iron grip, wincing.

"Y-yesh…?" She slurred through stretched lips.

Washu grinned and let her cheeks go, the flesh snapping back and swiftly growing red. "Good." She chirped and opened her shadow console again, the screen lighting up with a soft chiming sound. She hammered the keyboard with lightning fast fingers as Ryoko sat off to one side, watching closely as she rubbed her sore cheeks. Both women jumped slightly as a slow, droning whine vibrated through the floor of the lab, a line of lights slowly flaring around the perimeter of the arched gateway.

Pulses of light crept up the cylinders, gaining speed as the hum rose in intensity, the lights around the edge of the arch nearing the apex of the curve. As the final light flared to life, the hum reached a crescendo, becoming a high-pitched squeal as the lights flickered and faltered for a moment. Ryoko flinched as a brilliant flash filled the area and a massive spark crackled, appearing in the center of the archway and sending off searing forks of blue-green lightning.

"W-Washu!" She cried as she lifted her arms to shield her face from the brilliant, blinding light. The spark began to grow, arcing bolts of electricity into the surrounding walls of the lab, filling the air with acrid smoke and the harsh scent of ozone. Negative ions filled the air as the spark wobbled crazily, reaching out probes of crackling power, making static charges crawl over the women's skin, their hair spreading out in frizzy masses of magenta and cyan. Calmly, the scientist lifted a pair of darkened goggles to her face and pressed a single button on her console. With a warbling, rushing sound the spark sucked in on itself, resolving into a pulsing ball of energy, the lights around the edge of the archway solid and burning brightly.

With a contented sigh, Washu put the goggles back down on her desk, looking over at her 'assistant' and giving her a pleased smirk. "It just needed to warm-up a little before we finished the initialization process." She shook her head and waved dismissively at her frazzle-haired daughter, a grin spreading across her face. "You really need to trust in me more often, when have I led you astray?" She leaned in and kissed Ryoko's forehead, smoothing down her crackling hair. "Let's go get the others…"

* * *

><p>Sasami grunted painfully as she sat back onto a slab of fallen plasteel, letting out a deep sigh as she winced. Her entire body ached under her bandages, the pain-killers Mihoshi administered having worn off ages ago. The constant smoke that had smothered the city stung her good eye and made her throat scratch with every breath. She choked back a cough, her broken ribs searing with pain as her chest tightened, ripping a pained groan from her throat and making her squeeze her eye shut tightly as the agony slowly passed. Taking quick, shallow breaths, she slowly controlled her pain, forcing it to subside as her breathing eased.<p>

A soft sloshing sound made her open her eye, a dented tin cup that brimmed with water hung a few inches in front of her face. She followed the hand and arm that held it up to a familiar face, smiling softly as she took the cup gently in her gauntleted hand.

"You looked like you could use it…" Ayeka said softly, settling down onto the barrel beside her sister. The Grand Marshall nodded and chuckled softly, gently lifting the cup in her mechanical glove, taking a sip. The water was lukewarm and echoed of the tin cup, but tasted like the sweetest of wines to her smoke-scorched throat. The two princesses sat silent for a few moments as Sasami drained the cup and sat holding it in her lap, looking out at their troops, watching them buffer the defenses and improve on the barricades with what scraps they had.

"Ayeka…" Sasami started, turning the mug between her hands, watching the last drop of water turn around the bottom of the cup.

"Hmm?" The older princess turned to look at her, a worried expression on her face.

Sasami turned her head to see her sister with her good eye, a soft smirk on her face. "Can you sit on my left side? I can't see you over there." Her smirk spread into a pained grin as she tapped her bandaged eye with one thick, mechanical finger.

The indigo-haired executor's expression tightened for a moment before it softened and she daintily covered her mouth as she giggled quietly. She stood, dusting off the seat of her borrowed pants and sighed softly, still smiling as she changed sides and sat next to her sister. "Oh Sasami… It feels good to laugh, even in a time like this." She looked out at the ruined city, the place they had called home for almost eight years destroyed in a just a single day.

'_A day…'_ The thought echoed in her mind for a moment. Barely twenty four hours had passed since the first of the meteors fell. To those fighting off the waves of Tenchi clones it felt as if a week had passed since that first shot was fired. A late night at the customs office had kept her from returning home in time for dinner and her growling stomach led her towards the little bakery a few blocks down from the Transportation Administration building.

Juggling a melon bread, her satchel and a cup of milky coffee, she was walking back to the docking level and her shuttle when the first meteor screamed through the city. She dropped her bread and drink, satchel forgotten as she dropped to her knees and covered her head as it lit up the sky with azure fire, sending shadows to dance crazily across the street. Windows shattered in its wake as it passed between the tightly packed buildings to plunge into the street below. The impact forced the street up on either side, sending the buildings on either side tilting awkwardly as cracks erupted through the asphalt and concrete.

She slowly stood, trembling as the astral fire began to scorch and eat at the concrete, sending acrid smoke pouring through the air. As if drawn by some invisible, terribly ill-advised hand, she crept towards the edge of the crater. Shielding her eyes from the terrible blue haze, she peered past the jagged edges of blackening concrete, her eyes snapping wide as she stumbled back from the figure climbing out of the shattered remnants of the meteorite. The figure closed its fingers over a shard of flaming concrete, the blue embers hissing out under its fingers as it climbed out of the hole to grin and stare blankly at the princess.

For a moment, her heart leapt into her throat, the man standing before her looking nothing less than that same, young Tenchi she fell in love with. As it advanced, trailed by two and three copies of itself, its intentions became perfectly clear, curling its fingers into cages and forming a tiny ball of light at the palm of each. Stunned as she was, the princess barely managed to raise a shimmering shield before the sky-blue bolt of energy crashed against it, bursting into a cloud of slate smoke that drifted quickly away. She scrambled to her feet, waving a hand and summoning a swarm of miniature wooden drones with a crisp chiming sound. Each drone split up the middle and opened to reveal a central gemstone that shone briefly before firing thin beams of energy towards her attackers.

The net of energy cut the Tenchi clones to ribbons as she choked back a sob and turned away, not wanting to see what she had done. With showers of sparkling embers the three Tenchis dissolved into motes of light. The sound of crumbling concrete drew the princess's gaze back to the crater; her eyes growing wide again as another half dozen of the clones poked their heads over the edge and began to climb out of the hole.

Shame washed over her as she recalled what happened next. She ran. Her heart pounded in her throat as she turned on her heel and pounded across the pavement as yet another brilliant blue sphere pierced the grey clouds that hung pregnant and low in the sky, trailing vapor as it plummeted to crash into the city like a hammerblow. Her vision seemed to narrow as she climbed the stair into the shuttle deck and her blood rushed in her ears, making her deaf to the thunder crash explosions of the meteors around her. She fumbled for the handle of her shuttle, climbing into the white leather interior just as a blazing comet struck the building, the explosion echoing through the many levels and rocking the entire structure.

She screamed and clutched the steering wheel as the building tilted crazily, the concrete and plasteel skeleton cracking with the sound of cannon fire as a jagged split bisected the poured flooring. Punching the ignition and gripping the controls with white-knuckled hands she tore out of the building just as it began to crumble in on itself, a slab of rubble striking the rear of her shuttle and causing her to veer crazily for a moment before she regained control. One thought overtook her as she tore across the sky.

'_Sasami…'_

"Ayeka?"

The princess jumped and felt her face flush hotly as her sister's voice snapped her out of her revere, making her turn to look at the wounded commander. She placed a mechanical glove on her sister's shoulder, her expression concerned. "You kind of zoned out there for a minute. Want to go have some rest? I think we've got this pretty well covered here."

Ayeka smiled softly and shook her head, placing her hand over the cool metal on her shoulder. "No, you should rest, how long have you been awake? Thirty, almost forty hours?"

The younger princess chuckled derisively and ran a gauntleted hand through her short cropped hair. "Do you want to count the part where I passed out as sleep?" She shook her head, standing slowly from her seat and stretching with a grunt. "I'll be fine, but you're not used to this kind of battle. You should get some…"

Her words were cut off as a flash of brilliant light and an ear-splitting crackling sounded in the barricaded clearing. In a moment, a squadron of uniformed officers had their weapons trained on the swiftly growing blue-green tear in space. Flickering light sent shadows stretching across the asphalt as Sasami took her place behind her brave soldiers, wincing as she brought her cannon up to rest on her shoulder. As the blinding shard of light spread into a swirling oval of teal energy, the men and women tightened their fingers over their triggers, a faint whine barely audible over the crackling of the portal. Sasami held her hand up, shouting over the droning. "Hold your fire!"

The whine of contained energy continued as faint silhouettes formed inside of the shimmering gate, resolving into shadowy figures that stepped out into the clearing, blinking and covering their faces in the sudden light of the flood lamps. As a spark of recognition flared in Sasami's mind, all strength seemed to seep from her arms, the cannon falling to the cracked asphalt with a metallic thud. Her first step forward was tentative, almost frightened, but the next gained confidence and speed. By her third step she was running forward, pushing the uniformed soldiers aside as she wrapped Ryo-Ohki into her arms, weeping openly in front of her officers as she sank to her knees onto the steaming street, clutching the softly furred teenager tightly.

Tenchi and Ryoko followed close after, both raising their hands in a harmless gesture as they saw three dozen rifle barrels pointed directly at them. "S-stand down!" Sasami choked out, clearing her throat and rising to her feet, a shining tear track visible down her cheek in the brilliant light. "I said STAND DOWN." She barked, the soldiers complying immediately, rifles and side arms being dropped and holstered in an obedient rush. Sasami turned back to the trio, grinning wide as she pulled them into a group hug and rested her head against Ryoko's shoulder, sniffling softly. "I didn't know if I'd ever see you again…" She said softly, squeezing tighter into the group.

The cyan haired woman pulled back gently as the hug broke apart, wiping a tear from her own eye and smirked playfully. "Didn't think we'd just run off and leave you here, did you?" Her smile faltered a bit and she stepped in again, wrapping her arms around the princess's neck, sighing into her shoulder. "We thought you were dead, Sasami… I was so worried about you." The young commander chuckled and shook her head, squeezing her sister's former nemesis tightly.

"I almost didn't make it…" She said softly as they separated, looking over at Ayeka. The indigo haired princess stepped forward, smiling warmly as she too embraced the woman she had come to know as a sister and friend, the smell of smoke and dust coming from her stately robes.

"Sasami is exaggerating, I'm sure." Ayeka chided as she stepped back and wiped a tear from her eye, smiling softly. "I merely assisted her already heroic efforts." She waved a hand dismissively toward her sister, but stopped as she saw the serious expression on Sasami's face.

"If Ayeka hadn't show up…" She bit her lip, taking a deep breath and shaking her head. "I wouldn't be standing here, I can tell you that much." She took her older sister's hand gently in one of her mechanical ones and gave it a squeeze. A faint crunch and a peep of anguish from her sister made her jump and let go, examining her sister's crushed hand. Ryoko couldn't help but laugh as Ayeka wiggled her reddening fingers and Sasami began apologizing profusely.

"_Well I think that's enough of that…" _A voice sounded in the small clearing as a mechanical whirring pierced through the light conversation. There was the metallic click as weapons were readied again, this time pointing at the small shadow coming through the portal. As it resolved itself, a wide, flat screen showing Washu seated before an array of shadow consoles came into view, supported on a pole that was in turn attached to what appeared to be a tiny tank. The three-inch wide tracks screeched to a stop as the officers tightened their grips on their firearms.

"Stand down, guys, anything coming through that gate is a friend, I guarantee it." Sasami said as she wrapped a medical bandage around the Executor's hand.

"It hurts…" Ayeka sniffled, holding her hand limply.

"I said I'm sorry, you big baby…" Sasami admonished as she made another pass with the rolled fabric.

"_Hell of a welcome here… But maybe I could be of assistance? I've got food, water, clean medical facilities and even some hardware that might help out with your little, fracas, shall we call it?" _Washu's voice distorted slightly as it echoed out of the speakers. _"Oh, and when I was digging around earlier, I came across these guys…"_ Her face split into a wide, cat-like grin as the portal widened significantly, a massive shadow phasing into view.

"W-Washu… What are you sending…?" The crowd stepped back slowly, giving whatever was coming through the wide gate plenty of space. A single heavy, metallic foot struck the asphalt with a clang, followed by a thick, reinforced leg. A pair of heavy caliber canons slid out next, followed by a round, heavily armored body that bore a single, central 'eye' crowning the top of the metal beast. Half a dozen of the round-bodied robots exited the swirling portal, taking up positions near each of the barricades and crouching down. For a few moments the square was overwhelmed by a cacophony of whirring, clanking and buzzing as each robot knelt down and seemed to explode outward.

The central body opened and expanded into a heavy wall of ceramic-lined steel plating, the canons and secondary arms repositioning to fit through the center of the newly formed fifteen foot wide screen. The back of each shield flickered for a moment before lighting up, a line of static feeding across the screen, and then flaring to life with a view of the street beyond. The faint beeping sound emitted from each as the HUD faded into view, miniature circles tracing movement in the blackness beyond. Sasami tried to relax as she watched the last of the military grade robots settle down and entrench itself, walking over to Washu's video screen.

"W-what are those?" She asked, her voice quavering slightly.

"Robots." Washu chirped back, grinning.

Sasami's face fell and she turned to look Washu in the eye, her gaze steely. The magenta haired scientist chuckled nervously and cleared her throat. "These units are from an old military contract I had signed up with a planet in the Kienstar sector…" She cast her eyes to the side, suddenly very interested in some paperwork on her desk. "…Sadly that fell through when the planet somehow just so happened to blow up, totally by accident I assure you..." She cleared her throat again, waving this away as she smiled. "But, thankfully they are still operational and highly sophisticated battle simulants. I think they should be more than enough to boost your forces."

Sasami twisted her mouth into a smirk, arching an eyebrow as she regarded the scientist. "You've always got something up your sleeve, haven't you?" Her smile softened as she shook her head. "I don't think I can thank you enough, my men needed a breather, and I don't know how much longer we'll be able to hold this position."

Washu nodded and offered the princess a smile. "Look, the portal is bi-directional; you and your men can come through, get some rest and get fixed up. I'll handle the robots from here. You look like you need as much help as any one of these fellows." Her wheeled monitor spun on the spot, heading back towards the swirling gateway. "I'll maintain constant surveillance of this area, but to be on the safe side I think it would be prudent to bring anything you think that you'll need."

The turquoise haired princess nodded and turned towards the array of officers that had gathered to witness the spectacle. She pursed her lips and whistled sharply, gesturing to the crowd as she spoke. "You heard the lady, men! Let's ship up and move out! I want an orderly assembly, three strong through this gate in fifteen!" She clapped her gauntleted hands together loudly, causing the group of officers to scatter and scramble to the task ahead. Within ten minutes what once had been a sophisticated military outpost was once again a barren three-way intersection in a ruined city, the uniformed officers lined three deep as they passed into the gateway, each man and woman carrying a duffel or helping to carry a heavy metal crate.

Sasami oversaw the breakdown and transport of the base, shouting orders to the gathered battalion and directing the workflow as the area was stripped of all essentials. Noike and Mihoshi had already passed through the gateway with the wounded, the field hospital crew carrying the stretchers between them. Ayeka lingered back, watching the bustle of activity boiling through the portal, finally feeling as if she could breathe.

'_We can do this…' _She thought, holding a hand over her heart. _'We can drive this tide back…'_ A hopeful smile crossed her face as she looked out over what remained of the city. Beyond their barricades and Washu's intimidating security droids, smoke still rose from a dozen fires burning out of control. The skyline was jagged and shattered against the coming dawn, what once stood spires of marvelous architecture now lay rubble and gutted shells. In her heart she promised to see it restored, to bring back what once was beautiful and rebuild her mighty city. She heard Sasami calling to her and she turned, her heart brimming with hope as the sisters twined their fingers together and passed into the pulsing gate.

* * *

><p>The sound of trickling water filled Eygon's ears as he stirred, slowly opening his eyes and squinting against the sudden glare above him. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he looked around, finding himself laid on a gnarled root of the massive tree above him, a miniature star hanging a dozen feet from the ground. He stared up at it, watching the white-hot flames boil and dance across its surface as it pulsed gently. As he sat up, his head began to throb violently, making him wince and clutch at his skull. Whispers began to fill his ears, hissing to him in some foreign tongue. Startled, he stood suddenly, causing a wave of nausea to flood over him and making him reel on the spot. His stomach heaved for a moment, but empty as it was not but a mouthful of bile hit the marble tiles.<p>

Wiping his mouth, he steeled himself and stumbled forward towards one of the flowing streams that crisscrossed the floor. As he reached the edge of it he knelt and scooped some of the crystal clear water into his mouth, trying to wash the taste of bile from his tongue. He sighed, splashing water onto his face as well, yelping softly as his fingers caressed something round and hard on his forehead. He leaned over the edge of the stream, watching as the ripples ebbed away. Set into his forehead, just between and about half an inch above his eyes, a gold-flecked gemstone sat twinkling gently in the bright light of the starlet. Thick veins and mottled scars ringed the crystal, throbbing with each heartbeat.

His expression tight, he reached up, gently touching the gemstone and flinched as he touched it again, the sensation sending waves of sensation through his body, a mixture of pleasure and pain. He hissed and closed his eyes and waited for the feeling to wane, a buzzing filling his ears. The voices returned again, whispering and chattering in garbled phrases, making him clamp his hands over his ears and furrow his brow. As he tensed, trying to block out the noise, the gemstone flared briefly against his flesh, the veins surrounding it pulsing strongly. Through the susurrations, a single word rang like a silver bell.

"…_**AWAKEN…"**_

In a rush of power, Eygon felt the gemstone erupt through his mind, searing through every synapse and nerve as images flooded through his brain. He saw the palace around him, flashing in neon hues as it warped and twisted, flickering as images of Earth and the ruined city they had left rolled through his psyche. He watched as Tenchi clones flooded a street, tearing those who would stand against them to shreds, the sight of it sending a thrill of pleasure down his spine. Slowly the overwhelming surge of energy leveled out, buzzing over his skull.

Eygon opened his eyes and winced, crying out. The light was too-too bright, the colors too sharp and the edges twisted into non-euclidean angles. He squinted them shut again, the neon echoes of the room flashing behind his eyes and slowly fading. He felt the buzzing in his skull focus forward and tentatively he concentrated on the gemstone set into his forehead. In a flash, he saw the palace unfold around himself in an odd, fish-eye view. As if he were viewing the palace from above, he saw himself standing on the marble tiles with his eyes closed. Cautiously he took a step forward, reeling with the sensation of seeing himself moving and feeling it at the same time.

"About time you woke up…" A voice sounded behind him, making him turn his focus to find the speaker, his head spinning with the sudden change in perspective. Sego sat on another twisted root, picking his teeth with a sliver of wood. Branches hung over his head, heavily laden with a mottled magenta and yellow fruit. What remained of his arms were fused into metal-plated forearms, the fingers hissing with hidden pistons as he shifted his weight, leaning back on one of the robotic appendages. He reached up and plucked one of the fruit from a nearby branch, tossing it gently as he watched Eygon with brilliant yellow eyes.

"**Yeah, we's been waiting, Eygon."** The gravelly voice of Idneous sounded from off to one side as the behemoth strode into view, his back straight and wearing a streamlined suit of metallic fabric that hugged his heavily muscled form. Plates of metal were screwed into the cover-all, and one would assume into the hulking Tenchi clone's body, wires trailing from one to the other and meeting at a thick plate set into his chest. In the center of the plate a clear plate covered a circular indention, a brilliant emerald sphere tracing around its circumference.

Sego whistled sharply and tossed the fruit into the air. Idneous blurred and appeared on the far side of his brother, the oddly colored fruit clutched in one meaty hand. He grinned at Eygon and took a bite, grumbling happily as juice trickled down his broad chin. Eygon felt his gemstone pulse as he watched his brothers from above, a faint smile crossing his thin lips as he reached out with a strand of power and plucked the fruit from Idneous's hand, pulling it to himself.

"_**You are ready, my Sons…" **_The gently booming voice of Mikaboshi echoed in the small space as he projected his image into their midst. As one the three dropped to their knees, bowing before his presence. Shaking his head softly, the God waved a hand and dismissed their gentrification. He smiled softly as they looked up at him, returning their gaze lovingly. _**"This… is our time." **_He began, turning slowly on the spot to speak to each in turn.

"_**This universe was to be ours, a gift of our sweet sisters…" **_ A slow smirk crossed his face, twitching his beard slightly. _**"…Our sweet wives. They raised us, they showed us a world that was in our grasp, and then that boy snatched it away…" **_His face fell, becoming a sneer as the three cowered from his suddenly blazing gaze. _**"Took what was ours, locked us away and usurped our throne among our wives…" **_His face split into a grimace of rage as the palace began to shake, the branches of the great tree thrashing as if in a terrible storm.

"_**But we will take what is ours, by force and by blood!" **_His voice boomed in the enclosed space, echoing back to wash over the gathered clones, making them tremble. He glared at the three kowtowing figures, gnashing his teeth as his eyes flared with the light of a nebula. He clenched his fists, sending cracks webbing across the dome high above and his long, ebony hair began to swirl and fly about his head in a mad, tangled dance. _**"GO MY SONS! AND BE MY VENGEFUL HAMMER!"**_

In a flash and thunderclap, the three were gone, the divine wind sweeping them away as it died down, Mikaboshi's hair settling slowly back over his shoulders. The light died from his eyes and his grimace of fury smoothed back into a serene smile. Closing his eyes he dissipated, returning to his massive form seated in his throne, the branches of the tree slowing their thrashing and the cracks in the dome slowly sealing. In the depths of his mind he stretched across the universe, following his creations path across the depth of space, eager to witness their prowess against those who would stand against them. Blood would spill in his name and before the end of it, his sisters would beg for forgiveness at his feet and lust for his touch. A twitch turned his mouth up at the edge and a shiver of pleasure rolled across his spine.

"_**Soon…"**_

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><p><em><em>_Another chapter up and ready for you, my loyal readers. I hope you enjoy this latest installment and I welcome any thoughts, reviews or constructive criticism you can offer! Stay tuned for the next chapter!_


	14. Sleeping Seeker Child

**A Dream Unrequited**

Chapter 14

_Sleeping Seeker Child_

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><p><em>All characters and settings are property of Funimation, not the author<em>

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><p>"Almost… got it…" Washu grunted as she strained against the handle of an almost comically oversized socket-wrench, the socket itself buried at the end of a leverage bar deep inside of the crimson gauntlet that was attached to Grand Marshall Masaki Sasami's arm. The princess herself strained against the tension as she sat on a padded examination table deep inside Washu's lab, leaning against one arm as her savior struggled with the other. The massive gauntlets that enshrouded Sasami's arms had been disconnected from the power pack that fueled them but after such prolonged use had become locked in place.<p>

Her cheeks flushed red and a faint sheen of sweat on her forehead, the scientist flexed her muscles and gave one final push, holding her breath as the faint sound of groaning metal issued from the breaker bar. "Come… on….!" She groaned through clenched teeth, her eyes squeezing shut as she planted her feet and pushed with all her might.

With a click, a hiss of decompressing air and a faint mechanical whine, the gauntlet released its hold as a trio of locking screws unwound up out of rear portion of the mechanical fist. An almost invisible seam in the glove's surface split open with a puff of steam, exposing the pistons, gears and pneumatic systems that powered the mechanized hands. Smirking faintly, the scientist wiped her brow and set the socket wrench aside as she leaned in and began to carefully pull away each half of the heavy red steel. Grunting with effort as she lifted each, she set them with a loud _**clang**_on the metal worktable beside her, their weight denting the sheet metal as they fell.

"Alright then, let's see…" She said softly as she took a close look at the guts of the gauntlet and turned back to her table, selecting a pair of screwdrivers from the pile of tools spread hastily across its surface. She set to work at an incredible speed, loosening the key screws that held together each side of the bristling array of diodes, gyroscopes and tension cords. While she worked, her eyes continued to roam over Sasami's arm, continually drawn back to the inch-wide ports in the metal sublevel of the gauntlet's workings. Through these holes the final layer of the mechanized gloves could be seen, a layer of super-resilient and absorbent fabric traced with control wires. She frowned as she saw the cloth scorched with the maze of wires underneath and soaked red from the raw flesh that the locking screws had forced themselves into.

She almost jumped as another whirring hiss sounded from the gauntlet's workings, the hydraulic cables disengaging and falling away and the gears unwinding to push the two halves apart. Sasami hissed in a breath through clenched teeth as for the first time in almost two days she could move her hand without the aid of the mechanized glove. Gingerly Washu pulled away the two halves of the gauntlet, pausing as the Sasami jumped and let out a stifled groan of pain. Moving slower this time, the scientist carefully pulled away the top half of what remained of the glove, wincing herself as she watched it tug painfully at the synthetic weave that stuck to Sasami's arm.

Using a thin metal probe, she gently held the fabric in place as she pulled away the top half, repeating the process with the lower section and slipped the articulated chrome 'hand' off of her patient's own. Fresh scarlet blooms began to seep through the dingy yellow fabric, a frown wrinkling Washu's brow as she watched the crimson trace along the scorched wire-marks. With a sigh she set the remains of the gauntlet aside and picked up her ratchet to begin working on the second of the pair.

It was the work of fifteen more minutes grunting, prying and carefully peeling away the hardened metal casing and the inner workings of the gauntlet's twin, leaving Sasami sitting on the operating table, her arms trembling slightly in their sweat and blood-stained half sleeves. Washu pursed her lips as she picked up a pair of shears from her workbench and gave them an experimental snip. "Alright, now for the fun part…" She said with a sarcastic twinge as she gently peeled back the edge of the fabric. A sharp hiss from the princess startled her as she watched the fabric cling and tug at the young commander's flesh, the material clinging to her skin after so long trapped within the overworked mechanical arms.

Clicking her tongue against her teeth, Washu eased the blade of the shears under the lip of the fabric and carefully began snipping down its length. The thick synthetic fibers crunched under the scissoring blades and curled apart, exposing sweat-soaked skin, pale and pasty in the bright overhead lights. As she peeled the split fabric back, she sucked in a breath, wincing as she watched it pull away from Sasami's skin, leaving a maze of coppery traces behind on her forearm. The copper traces echoed a thin scorched line on the underside of the corded fabric, each line a wire that had gradually overheated from excessive use and burned itself into Sasami's flesh, intertwined into a web that wrapped all the way around the commander's arms. Each wire that had burned itself into her flesh was outlined in blistered, angry red flesh, cracked and seeping blood over the seared edges of her skin. With a sigh, she finished the first arm and moved on to the second, finding it no better than the first as she pulled back the fabric to expose the copper wires imbedded within had burned their way into that arm as well.

Washu set the shears down with a weary groan, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she turned away and pulled open a drawer on her worktable. "I really don't see why you used those things, you _knew_ they were an experimental model…"

"I didn't really have much of a choice, did I?" Sasami spat back, gritting her teeth as she flexed her arms and curled and uncurled her hands, each movement sending twinges of pain coursing along her nerves as her blistered and scorched flesh cracked and oozed fresh blood from the yards of copper wiring that wove a circuit map across her skin. "Besides, they've been useful." She smirked, then winced again as she hastily lifted back off of the arm she had casually tried to brace herself with, frowning at her own foolishness.

"Well, let's go ahead and get those out…" Washu said with a huff, screwing a vial of watery purple liquid into a pistol-like device that she pulled from the drawer she had opened. With all the care of a trained nurse, the scientist carefully swabbed the princess's arms and pressed the machine against the unmarred flesh of her biceps. A quick, sharp hiss escaped the jet-injection gun and sent a flurry of bubbles up through the clear vial. She paused for a moment, tapping her foot as she silently counted out the seconds before reaching out and giving Sasami's scorched flesh a firm poke.

"HEY!" She jumped back, pulling her arm away limply.

"What, did it hurt?" Washu asked, an eyebrow arched as she turned back to her worktable and retrieved a scalpel and small metal dish.

"Well, no…" Sasami replied as her cheeks flushed slightly.

"Very well then, stop being such a baby."

Sasami huffed and pouted in a very un-military fashion as Washu neatly arranged her tools and supplies onto a rubber-lined metal tray and set it beside the battle-worn princess. The faint squeak of wheels brought an antique rolling chair in next to the table as Washu slipped into the seat and leaned in at eye-level with the scorched mess that was Sasami's left forearm. Her mouth twisted down as she gently laid out a thick white towel on the examination table and selected a pair of thin-tipped pliers from the tray along with a paper-thin blade, using the pliers to catch an oxidized tail of wire that jutted out awkwardly from Sasami's arm.

Delicate and precise sweeps with the blade slowly worked the wire loose from the Grand Marshall's arm, leaving a raw furrow in her flesh as the thin copper tracing peeled back. Sasami watched her work with a stoic expression, the anesthetic agent making her arms feel thick and heavy. Every so often Washu would use a pair of snips to cut the curling lengths of wire away, setting them aside before continuing the slow progress. The minutes ticked by in relative silence as she meticulously sheared the lengths of copper from Sasami's arm, the only sound in the small room was the faint scraping of metal against metal and the disquieting sound of shearing skin.

"So how did she do it?" Washu asked, breaking the silence as she set another tightly coiled length of wire aside and dabbed the angry red lines in her patient's arm with disinfectant.

"What?" Sasami asked, quirking an eyebrow up as she watched the scientist work.

"Ayeka, how did she save you?" Another slow sweep of the blade brought a tail of wire curling out of her scorched flesh.

The young princess chuckled, a smirk crossing her face. "It was… surprising, to say the least." She sighed, rolling her shoulders absent-mindedly and making Washu curse and glare up at her. A puzzled look crossed Sasami's face before she noticed the rivulet of deep red running down her forearm and saw the gash her movement against the moving scalpel had made. She smiled awkwardly, her nerves deadened against the pain of the wound as Washu took a folded piece of gauze from her tray and pressed it firmly against the fresh cut.

Her cheeks reddened slightly, Sasami cleared her throat. "Sorry, but Ayeka… she never really showed just how strong she always was…" She smiled softly and scoffed, shaking her head. "I suppose she didn't think it was lady-like."

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><p>A brilliant flash of teal cut through the ever-grinning Tenchi clone, sending it scattering into a thousand points of light that twinkled with a surreal beauty for an instant before two more of the doppelgangers filled the space where it once stood. Sasami looked over her shoulder quickly, watching the sub-dimensional gateway Washu had opened fade once again into the wall of her lab. A faint smile crossed her lips as she turned back to the wave of Tenchi's, a tear rolling down her cheek as she strode forward, her blade flashing again and again as she mowed through the waves of clones that surrounded her.<p>

"_**It is a brave thing you have done…"**_A melodious voice echoed through her mind as she danced around the clones attacks, her broken body screaming with every step. She smirked as she reached out, grabbing the face of one of the Tenchi's in her heavy, gauntleted hand and squeezed suddenly, the flesh warping disquietingly against her mechanized grip for a moment before the sharp crack of bone sounded out in the lab. Her fingers closed into a fist with a clang as the clone exploded into motes of light to fall around her like stardust.

"Tsunami-Kami-Sama…" She hissed through bared teeth, her blade flashing in intricate arcs as her free hand shot out again and again, finding its mark against the heads and chests of the clones. Each blow erupted with light as their ever-grinning bodies crumpled and caved in under her strength, her blue-green saber trailing the slowly dying embers of its last victory as it cleaved into the next. "I don't suppose you've shown up to give me a hand here? You've always got a knack for turning up when I need you the most." She half smirked as a small line on her scalp began to tingle slightly, the only remaining evidence of her fall during the attack on Jurai.

The tingle grew into a shiver that rolled down her spine, setting fire to her nerves as she tensed slightly at the sensation. All at once, shuddering ripple of turquoise energy flowed down her body and rushed outwards in a scintillating dome, pushing back the tide of Tenchi clones that roiled and clawed over each other in their voracious attempt at Sasami's life. The dome of power boomed with each hammer-blow strike their fists made against the barrier as the royal tattoo on Sasami's forehead shimmered and split apart, swirling into a pair of light blue circles on her brow.

The piercing pain from her snapped ribs and bruised lungs abated suddenly as an ethereal mirror image of the Juraian Princess stepped out of her. Tsunami-Kami-Sama turned on her heel, her flowing white robes shifting gently in some unseen breeze as she pursed her lips and 'spoke', her divine voice echoing faintly with annoyance. _**"Sasami, we both know I never 'turn-up'…"**_ The goddess crossed her arms, shaking her head as she let out a sigh. _**"While you have been down here playing warrior-princess, Lady Tokimi and I have been focusing our efforts on how to determine a weakness in this… being."**_

Relishing the far-underrated pleasure of taking a lung-full of air, Sasami groaned as she felt the tingling ache of her weariness make itself known despite the divine peace of Tsunami-Kami-Sama's presence. "Forgive me for being snappish, we've all been through a lot today…" She looked out at the sea of grinning faces a few feet away, held at bay by her kindred-goddess power. "Tsunami, what are we going to do?" She asked quietly, her iron-clad façade fading as her brow furrowed.

Tsunami's brow furrowed slightly and a frown crossed her divinely beautiful features as she too looked around at the riotous mass of single-minded clones. _**"That has yet to be determined…"**_ She said after a moment, the worry that wrinkled her brow clear in her eyes. _**"The progeny of Mikaboshi are relatively weak, save his true sons, but they are numerous."**_ Her ecclesial eyes turned upwards, seeing beyond the steel and concrete shell of the building and into the far reaches of space. _**"Even now more approach… We can fight and destroy as many as we please, but unless we stop the source we will surely be over-run."**_

The turquoise haired goddess returned to her astral form alongside Sasami, shaking her head. _**"And as of yet we cannot touch him…"**_ Her hands twitched and curled into tight fists as the protective dome flared for a moment, an unusual grimace of frustration flashing across her visage as the clones in close proximity to the dome suddenly flashed into motes of light. _**"It was foolish of us to assume that we could control or reason with what we were creating within Tenchi. We should have considered a failsafe…" **_ She relaxed slightly and a mirthless smile curved her lips up. _**"Then again, we also assumed what we would be dealing with would BE Tenchi."**_

The dome of energy fluxed and rippled with power as the clones threw themselves at its shimmering surface, each one diffusing into a starburst of embers as soon as they touched it. Sasami sighed, slowly slipping to the floor of the lab, attempting to relax her broken body. A sharp hiss of breath escaped her lips as she sat, feeling tightness spread across her torso that if not for the calming presence of Tsunami-Kami-Sama, would have resolved itself into searing pain. She checked the storage pouch sewn into the leg of her GXP-PDF uniform, finding only one more of the chemical cocktails within, still sealed in its hard plastic blister pack. _'I'll need this later…'_She thought as she replaced it and shook her head, futilely fighting off the buzzing weariness that threatened to overtake her.

As her eyelids drooped heavily and the world around her quickly faded to black, an echoing boom rattled her awake. Her eyes snapped open and she looked around, expecting another attack from the overpowered Tenchi clones, the sons of Mikaboshi. Instead, she watched as one of the ever-grinning clones slammed itself against the dome of energy, fighting against the pulsing power of Tsunami to strike against the shield. The waves of power licked at its flesh, stripping it away in flaking sheets as it struck again and again, finally bursting into motes of light. The other clones watched them as they fell to gently smolder against the floor of the lab before they too stepped forward tentatively and beat themselves against the dome.

Soon the dome was once again ringed in Tenchi clones, each pounding their fists against the faintly blue-tinged surface as it seared the flesh from their bodies with each pulse. "W-what's happening?" Sasami asked as she slowly stood, her body groaning in protest. "Is your shield weakening somehow?"

The Grand Marshall turned and felt a shiver of terror ripple through her very core. Never before had she seen the glint of fear in Tsunami's eyes. The goddesses face was tight, her mauve eyes wide as she too watched the clones pound against the shield of energy, all eventually exploding in their brilliant death-throes, but each successive wave lasting longer than its previous. _**"N-no… they are adapting somehow… growing resistant to my power…"**_ She closed her eyes and brought her hands upwards, palms facing up as the pulsing of the dome grew brighter and more frequent.

Once again, the clones were held at bay, but only momentarily as they adapted faster and faster with each of their rank that fell to the rippling waves. _**"I-I don't understand… how can they..?"**_ She closed her eyes again for a moment, reaching out towards the un-ending sea of unblinking Tenchi clones. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes snapped open, her lips trembling slightly. _**"T-Tenchi…?"**_

Sasami gaped at the shaken Choushin, her mind racing as her mouth moved, searching for some clue to grasp onto. A screeching tearing sound startled her and threw her thoughts into disarray as Tsunami cried out, falling to her knees with her arms across her chest. All at once the pain of Sasami's injuries came rushing back and set her nerves on fire, her vision blurring and stomach lurching.

Through half-closed eyes, she watched as one of the Tenchi clones had stepped forward, pushing its hands slowly into and through the flickering dome of power. Smoke curled from its fingers as the first few layers of skin were seared from its flesh, leaving them raw and angry red as it gripped the interior wall of the energy shield. Its arms flexed and bulged as it tensed, the divine barrier flaying smoldering strips of its skin and flesh away with each pulse as it pulled its hands apart, forcing a ragged tear in the sky-blue shield.

As Sasami watched, hunched over in pain, the clone was suddenly suffused with light. Not exploding into tiny motes, but pouring light out from every pore. As the light grew to a blinding crescendo, its body began to puff up, bulging awkwardly like an over-filled balloon. Her eyes widened in shock as she brought her arms up to shield her face just as the clone burst in a rush of power. The explosion rocked the lab, sending its brothers flying backwards and throwing Sasami against the wall behind her as the dome of energy popped like a soap bubble.

Tsunami's form dissipated, her astral projection disjointed by the blast of energy as the clones slowly moved in closer to Sasami's crumpled form. Stars burst in her vision as she slowly climbed to her knees, her back tingling sharply as she felt a bruise beginning to form along her spine and shoulders. Her lips parted in a grimace as she bared her teeth, fighting against the pain as she stood and rushed forward in a burst of speed, her gauntleted hand rocketing forward and the power-pack on her back emitting a high-pitched whine. The clone ahead of the Princess lifted its hand, palm open as she tore forward, letting out a howl of fury.

Blinding light and searing pain welcomed her as her feet left the ground and she felt herself fly, twisting through the air to land on her chest, her ears ringing as she slammed into the floor of the lab. A scream tore up her throat as her broken ribs torqued under the impact, threatening to push in and pierce her organs. On trembling arms, she pushed herself up, feeling something warm and thick trickle slowly down the right side of her face. Slowly she opened her eyes, a cry of agony escaping her lips as she felt her right eyelid stretch and split before it refused to open, her nostrils filled with the putrid stench of seared flesh.

A low-pitched whine rose above the ringing in her ears and she scrabbled onto her back, her good eye opened wide in fear and pain. The 'lead' clone had its hand up once again, a shimmering orb of cyan light pulsing gently against its opened palm. Those unblinking eyes pierced into her and for the first time in many years, she felt her heart grow cold.

"I'm sorry… Tenchi…"

She took a labored breath, her ribs searing with pain as they stretched and a tear slowly fell down her cheek as she said her last goodbye. As the whine rose to a trembling plateau, she closed her eye, accepting her fate. A sharp whistle cut through the air, only her courage allowing her to remain still as she heard death whine through the air towards her.

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><p>Sasami opened her eye to see the place where the 'lead' Tenchi clone had stood empty, a single mote of light still flickering in the air as it fell. In a symphony of whistling energy, threads of light-blue power criss-crossed the room, sweeping through the clones and leaving rapid bursts of light in their wake.<p>

"**YOU LEAVE MY SISTER ALONE!"**

Out of the corner of her remaining eye, Sasami watched as Ayeka flew through the air, her robes of office already scorched and torn in places and a thin cut above her eye sending rivulets of crimson down her cheek. Energy blasts flew through the air towards her from the open hands of the adapted clones, only to ricochet off of her projected shield, her wooden Juraian guardians hovering alongside her and keeping pace. She hovered for a moment mid-air, arching back and baring her teeth as light gathered around her, feathers of electricity arcing from the dozens of floating guardians that surrounded her.

In a flash of brilliant light, beams of energy cut through the air, streaking towards the mob of Tenchi clones. Each thread of power burned and seared into its target, shearing them into halves and quarters as the guardians twisted from one target to the next. Her ruby colored eyes flashed with rage as she dropped from within the cloud of guardians and hefted a jagged piece of fallen plasteel from the rubble of Washu's lab, brandishing it like a sword as she tore into the crowd. Explosions of light followed each swing of the makeshift blade, her teeth grinding as she drove it into and through anything in her path.

Another burst of power hummed and buzzed through the air, sending static electricity crackling along Sasami's arms as Ayeka howled. The demure princess stood with her feet apart, her palms cut to ribbons from the jagged edges of the lightweight metal as a billowing rush of fury-driven power flowed out from the guardians that had flown back to surround her. As it passed over and through the Tenchi clones, the room was suffused with blinding light as the hundreds of grinning clones that remained burst as one.

Her breath coming in great heaving gasps, Ayeka let her blade fall to the floor with a clatter, the faint plop of blood dripping from her fingertips to the floor the only sound in the room. The clones dispatched, she ran to Sasami's side, gathering her up into her arms and holding her tight. "Oh, Sasami, what is happening?!" She wailed as she buried her face into her younger sister's hair.

Her arms slack at her sides, the Grand Marshall looked out at the criss-crossed scorch marks her sister's assault had burned into the floor, walls and ceiling of the ruined lab. Her lips twitched and then spread across her face into a grin, her lips splitting painfully as a chuckle rose up her throat.

Ayeka pulled back slightly, looking down at her broken sibling with a confused expression, her breath caching in her throat as the extent of her injuries gave her pause. Purpling bruises peeked out from under her disheveled uniform, and her chest rose and fell awkwardly as her laughter grew more forceful. Worst yet was the black and red scorch-mark across the right side of her face, her eyelid fused shut and trickling bright red blood, the hair burned short across the side of her head and her ear blistered horribly.

"H-how can you laugh at a time like this?" Ayeka asked sharply as tears formed in her eyes and fell down her cheeks. "We have to go, we have to get you help!"

Sasami's laughter slowly changed from stumbling chuckles to harsh sobs as she curled against her older sister, the pain and exhaustion of her flight finally breaking her iron will as she let go and cried against Ayeka's robes. The world around her rushed in, hot and thick inside her skull as she felt darkness overtake her and pull her down into its sweet embrace.

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><p>"And when I came to, Ayeka had gotten me up to the GXP-PDF headquarters. Mihoshi and Noike were there already, Noike dealing with getting troops outfitted and put on the assault while Mihoshi was putting in some kind of distress signal." Sasami shook her head, smirking slightly while Washu finished wrapping her arm in gauze. "They had fixed me up as best they could, set my bones and bandaged up my eye." She chuckled and lifted her hand to run through her short-cropped hair. "Though why they cut off all my hair I'm not quite sure. Maybe they just thought I'd rather match?" She pointed to the streak of curled, singed hair on the right side of her head with a mirthful grin.<p>

Washu chuckled and shook her head as she tucked the gauze into the final loop of Sasami's bandaged arm and pasted it there with surgical cement. "Perhaps. You're taking all of this very well, I've got to say." Her smile faded quickly as she sat up and nodded to Sasami's bandaged eye. "What was the verdict on that awfulness?"

The princess shrugged and shook her head. "It's a 35% chance I'll be able to keep my own eye. The blast hit me right in the face, almost a direct hit to my right eye, so it's pretty bad." She lifted her still-numb arm and tried to wave away Washu's concern, only managing to flop her hand around at the wrist for a moment. "Either way I'll probably wind up having it replaced after this is all over… The damage to my sight would be damn near unbearable anyways."

A knock at the door caused them both to turn. "It's open, come on in." Washu called as she set aside the overflowing basin of coiled wire and organized her tools on the tray. The sliding door opened with a quiet hiss, revealing Tenchi standing in the hallway outside.

"Ah, Sasami, how are you feeling?" He asked as he stepped inside, smiling warmly at the battle-worn Grand Marshall.

She nodded slightly, having to turn awkwardly to look at him. "I've been better. Is everything okay?"

He smiled wider and nodded in return. "Yeah, everyone is getting pretty well set up. Mihoshi and her crew are taking care of the wounded, and Washu, Ryoko was looking for you if you're done." He turned and looked back at the doorway out to the hall. "And if your patient is in good enough condition, she has a visitor."

The scientist and battle-princess leaned to look past Tenchi, seeing an angular tan face peek around the doorway, messy shocks of brown, cyan and white hair poking out at odd angles. Sasami's face broke into a grin and her eye watered as she nodded happily, gesturing for Ryo-Ohki to come in. Her eyes bright, the lanky teenage girl rushed into the room, nearly throwing herself onto the medical table beside Sasami and wrapping her arms around her. Sasami leaned against the young cabbit-morph, encircling her awkwardly with her numb arms as Washu stood from her seat. She and Tenchi shared a smile as she walked around the table and headed for the door.

"You're on permanent bed-rest until I say otherwise, you understand, Sasami?" Her motherly tone made Sasami chuckle and nod as she and Ryo-Ohki sat on the medical table. Washu and Tenchi took another look back at the pair, sisters from different paths of life reunited in such turmoil. A sad smile crossed his face as he turned down the hallway and started walking as Washu closed the door to the medical bay.

"She's going to be alright, Tenchi."

He nodded and sighed, pausing as the scientists caught up. "I'm not worried about her."

Washu's lips tightened into a stern line as they continued walking down the metal-plated hallway.

"I know."

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><p><em><strong>Ladies and Gentlemen! Thank you all for being SO patient with me on this story and my slow updates, as many of you know I'd been spending that time re-writing 'Morpheus, the Reaper' which I recently finished[if you haven't read it, please go do so and let me know what you think!]! This chapter is actually quite truncated from what it was originally to be, but that just means I've got plenty more work ready to upload in the next couple of weeks. As always, please let me know if you have ANY questions, concerns, ideas, grievances, or just something you want to say about the story and how it's progressing, just hit me up on PM or write me a little note in the box right at the bottom of the page!<strong>_

_**Once again, thank you all for your support, your suggestions and your loyalty to my stories! Keep reading, review and I'll have my next chapter out ASAP!**_


	15. A Broken-Winged Bird

**A Dream Unrequited**

Chapter 15

_A Broken-Winged Bird_

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><p><em>All characters and settings are property of Funimation, not the author<em>

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><p>The corridors and passageways that made up Washu's lab wound through her subspace dimension like a rabbits warren. As he walked along the hallway and into a vast atrium, Tenchi realized that no matter how often he came through the Universe's Number One Genius's lab, it never failed to mesmerize him in its sheer size and splendor. Often it was filled near to bursting with technological marvels the likes of which the macrocosm had never seen or even conceived. Currently, however, the wonders that Washu's hands and brilliance had wrought had been set aside or moved out along the perimeter of the wide open room to make space for a make-shift field hospital.<p>

Gurneys and tables were spread across the alloy-plated floor, and several oxygen tents had been erected for some of the more severely injured members of the GXP. Men and women, humans, juraians, seniwans, humanoids and cyborgs, all stood bravely against the rising tide of Tenchi clones. Several of the more able-bodied soldiers remaining had been commandeered by the acting field doctor, Lt. Commander Kuramitsu, and scattered to and fro as they tended to the wounded. A confused smirk crossed Tenchi's face as he walked between the tables, dodging a young Juraian man as he ran past with an armload of bandages. _'How exactly did she get to be in charge of the field hospital? Much less become a Lieutenant Commander…?'_ He shook his head as he continued on towards the large canvas tent that had been set up on the south end of the atrium.

Ducking under the flap, he unbuttoned his sleeves and shook them free, starting to roll them up. "Mihoshi, I…"

"Shhh!"

His lips clamped shut as the dark-skinned blonde hissed sharply at him, a white smock pulled on over her uniform and a pair of purple gloves on her dainty hands, her face tight with worry. Her expression softened as she turned back to the young man who lay on the table before her. Tenchi's stomach rolled as he saw the ruin of red that made up the shuddering youth's chest through his open uniform. He quickly turned and made busy washing his hands in the sink and pulled on one of the smocks that hung from the metal frame of the tent.

"M-mi… L., L.T." The young man croaked, his mouth working as his eyes opened wide. "L.T., I… I'm scared…" His hands shook uncontrollably as Mihoshi offered him a soft smile and shook her head, taking one of his shuddering hands and holding it tight in her own.

"Yujo, you're going to be fine. Trust me, okay?" Her voice was soft and gentle, soothing Yujo's fears as she moved one of her hands to stroke his short-cropped hair as she squeezed his hand in her other. "We'll get you fixed up, right as rain, okay?" She smiled again and nodded to Tenchi, looking pointedly at a pistol-like device amid a tray of tools on the rolling table beside the gurney. He nodded and handed the hypo-spray across to her, watching as Yujo's eyes followed it across his lacerated torso. Up close, Tenchi could see the extent of the damage, swallowing hard to keep himself under control.

Dozens of ragged tears criss-crossed the young man's broad chest, some deep enough to leave furrows in the off-white of his exposed ribs. Each quivering breath he took made the flesh move in disquieting ways and broke open half-formed scabs, leaking vibrant crimson across the tattered remains of his uniform. Mihoshi smiled gently as she gave his hand a squeeze as she pressed the pistol-like device against the pulsing side of his neck and pulled the trigger. The sharp hiss of the pressurized anesthetic made the youth jump and cry out as his flesh stretched and split under the strain, wrenching a strangled scream from his throat as his eyes popped open wide and his arms jerked out to claw at the air.

As he thrashed, his back arching, Mihoshi leapt onto him, forcing Yujo back down onto the table as she spoke softly to him. "It's okay, you're going to be fine son, just relax…" Her voice was calm and even, soothing him as the drugs began to take effect. Tenchi joined her, gripping Yujo's arm, holding him down as Mihoshi began to hum gently, her eyes sparkling as her honeyed voice whispered past her lips.

"Hushabye, sleep,  
>How cute is the face of the baby fallen asleep,<br>The baby who is awake and cries,  
>Hushabye, how hateful his face looks,<br>Hushabye…"

Before she finished the lullaby Yujo's eyes had fluttered closed, his irises rolling up slowly under his eyelids as his breathing eased and his tensed body relaxed. Exhaling a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, Tenchi relaxed as well and let go of the injured man's arm as Mihoshi smoothed down Yujo's hair, a faintly sad smile on her face.

"Okay, let's get started, shall we?" Her voice stayed soft as she turned and dipped her hands into a basin of bluish liquid, shaking the excess from them as she focused on her patient's wounds, palpitating them gently as she shook her head. "He's lost a lot of blood…" She whispered as her lips twisted into a worried frown. With swift and sure movements, she rushed from her seat by his side and retrieved a small cylindrical device from one of the many wheeled cabinets moved into the surgical tent during the escape into Washu's lab. She opened a compartment in its side and pulled out a clear tube with a rounded metal half-sphere on its end, pressing this against Yujo's forearm as she flicked a switch on the cylinder's side.

Tenchi watched, amazed, as a smaller tube fed itself under the young man's skin with a faint whirring sound, the snakelike cord seeking back and forth just under his skin before it found a vein and plunged into it, suddenly still. The top of the cylinder unscrewed and rose slowly, exposing an inner tube filled with bright crimson liquid. Blinking fast and shaking his head, Tenchi chuckled in wonder. "I don't think I'll ever get used to some of this…"

Mihoshi offered him a faint smile as she sat back down after setting the gently thrumming infusion machine beside her patient, wheeling a metal table laden with tools in beside her. "Things certainly must seem quite different now, right Tenchi?" She smirked in amusement as she plucked a spool of clear thread from the table and unwrapped a sealed needle with practiced ease. "I know it doesn't seem like that long in the grand scheme of things, but fifteen years can be almost a lifetime when you're missing someone who was special to you."

She began to hum softly as she set to work sewing closed the worst of Yujo's wounds, her dainty fingers moving with the speed and skill of a surgeon. Tenchi only sat in silence as he watched her mend the youth as calmly as if she were darning a sock. He finally snapped out of his stupor as her words set in, making his ears flush hotly. "W-wait… I mean, when did…?"

"Sealant." It wasn't a request as she offered an opened hand across the ruin that was Yujo's narrow chest.

"What?" Tenchi quickly scanned the table beside him, a nervous sweat breaking out across his forehead as his eyes flitted from one piece of arcane alien equipment to another, his hand hovering over each in turn as he tried to determine her desire.

She giggled and rolled her eyes as she pointed with a blood-stained finger. "The one that looks a little like a miniature caulking gun?"

Grinning with embarrassed relief, Tenchi closed his fingers over the device and handed it over, watching with interest as she squeezed the trigger slowly, feeding a thin line of off-white paste into one of Yujo's gaping wounds, his eyes going wide as the paste seemed to cling to the shredded flesh of the young man's chest and pulling tight before the line of goo began to inflate slowly, sealing the rift in his chest.

"You might want to close your mouth, Tenchi." Mihoshi whispered, a puckish glint in her sapphire eyes. She grinned toothily as her assistant clamped his mouth shut and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. Returning to her task, she used a disinfecting swab to clean the dirt and coagulated blood out of a particularly deep furrow across the young man's abdomen before applying another thread of the medical foam.

He allowed her to work in silence for a while longer, the faint beeping of a heart-rate monitor keeping pace with Yujo's weakened beat as Mihoshi asked softly for one tool or another. Finally he had had enough and swallowed hard, steeling himself for the answer. "Mihoshi, what did you mean when you said you missed someone special?"

Not missing a beat as she pulled a stitch tight, pulling Yujo's flesh disquietingly to seal another gash. "You, of course." Her blasé reply stunned him for a moment more before he plowed forward.

"But I thought… I mean, you never said anything?"

Now it was her turn to blush, a gentle flushing across her bronzed skin. "I_ always_liked you, Tenchi." She glanced up at him from across her work, then back down to make sure the suture she had tied was set properly before moving onto the next. "From when we first met I felt a connection to you." She grinned playfully as her eyes sparkled. "You were so handsome and kind, you were strong, faithful, honest, just about everything a woman could want." Her smile faltered slightly before it stretched back across her lovely face.

"I never made mention of it because I knew that you weren't the kind of man to react to a forward woman." She giggled and winked at him as she used a scalpel to shear away the ragged edge of one of the wounds. "Otherwise Ryoko would have had you hands down." She sighed nostalgically as she prepared a fresh needle and thread. "I'd hoped you would notice me, maybe grow to like me the way I liked you, but we never really connected I guess." She shrugged as her smile faded slowly into a frown. "Besides, I haven't had that much luck with love, so I'm not surprised we didn't hit it off…" Nodding to the table across from her she locked her eyes on one of the tools. "Cauterizing laser."

His brow furrowing in confusion, he too frowned as he handed the pen-sized beam emitter to her, leaving her words to hang in the quiet tent, punctuated by the soft humming of the laser and the acrid scent of burning flesh. He shook his head and allowed the subject to die as she engrossed herself in her work, making quick work of the dozens of deep slashes in Yujo's chest, sewing them into thin puckered lines. As she laid the final bandage across his chest, he smirked and shook his head in amazement. "How did you learn to do this so well?"

She smiled sadly as she covered the young man up with a blanket up to his chin and turned, stripping off her smock and gloves. "In my past life I was quite the educated woman." She said softly, a distant look in her eyes.

"Your… past life?"

Nodding softly, she lifted her right arm running her fingers over a brilliant scarlet ribbon tied around her wrist like a bracelet. "My family thought it would be better if I forgot… and honestly they were right for a while…" Slowly she began to unwind the ribbon, letting it hang and sway slightly as she stretched out the material. "I can't begin to tell you how hard it was the first time I took it off… Everything, the memories, the pain, the heartache rushing back like that? I think I almost went mad for a while there…" The edges of her mouth twitched up slightly in painful memory as recognition sparked in Tenchi's mind and his eyes went wide.

"Ah! That's your ribbon!" He pointed from it to her bounty of amber-colored hair, his eyes narrowing as he saw it pulled up and tight with a simple elastic band. With another nod she turned the fabric towards him, an intersecting maze of circuits faintly shimmering across its inside surface.

"You see, we share something else in common, Tenchi…" She smiled awkwardly as she re-wrapped the ribbon around her wrist. "We both killed ourselves." As his eyes bulged and he opened his mouth to barrage her with questions she continued on. "My family covered it up of course, couldn't have that kind of scandal straining our good name." Her normally sweet voice was tinged with stinging sarcasm as she tucked the edge of the ribbon back under the final wrap. "So they thought it would be better if I didn't remember any of it."

A twisted smirk curled her ruby lips as she scoffed and shook her head. "I still can't sleep without putting it back on, but sometimes..." She sighed and let her hands fall to her sides as she tilted her head and fixed her azure eyes on Tenchi's own brown orbs. "Sometimes I think remembering the bad-times is worth it when you've got something good to look forward to."

Stunned by the revelation, he stood transfixed as the buxom blonde stepped around their patient and moved in close, bringing her hand to the side of his cheek.

"Mihoshi, wha…?"

The gentle press of her warm, soft lips against his own cut his words short, her forward demeanor stunning him again. The warm scent of orange blossoms and rose hips tinged with antiseptics enveloped him as he slowly melted, kissing her back tenderly before they both stepped out of the embrace, cheeks flushed warmly.

A warm smile crossed her lips as she took his hand in her own and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I know I'll never have you, Tenchi. I just wanted a taste of what I might have missed…"

An awkward chuckle rose up his throat as he scratched his head, his heart racing from such a stunning turn of events. "W-well I hope I didn't disappoint…" She giggled and shook her head as she let go of his hand.

"Not at all, I just wish I'd done that fifteen years ago." She grinned as he flushed hotter and nodded towards the open flap in the tent. "Come on, Tenchi, we've got more people to help."

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><p>A curl of acrid, slate blue smoke rose up from the point of Ryoko's soldering iron as she bent over a workbench deep within the 'Restricted' area of Washu's lab. She inched along slowly, fusing together a map of wires to the inside of a curved slab of metal. She squinted as she worked, her brow furrowed in concentration as she touched the tip again and again to the silicon layer, tiny arc flashes lighting her face. With a sigh, she paused her work and wiped her brow with the back of her hand as she straightened up from her hunched position. A groan escaped her throat as she grimaced and reached back, rubbing her lumbar as she stretched.<p>

"You're doing a fine job."

The voice from over her shoulder made Ryoko yelp and throw her hands up, juggling the hot iron in the air for a moment before catching its handle with a relieved sigh. She furrowed her brow as she stabbed the iron into its holder and wheeled around to glare at Washu.

"Damn it mom, you could warn a lady before sneaking up on her like that." She huffed and crossed her arms, her lips pursed. "I could have ruined the whole circuit and had to start all over again!"

An impish grin stretched across the scientists face as she pushed her hands into the deep pockets of her coat. "Oh pshaw, it wouldn't take you a moment to rewire that circuit and we both know it." She stepped around her daughter and surveyed her work, emerald eyes tracing over the silicon inlay and nodding approvingly. "Besides, if I told you I was watching you it wouldn't be any fun, now would it?"

The magenta haired genius plucked the soldering iron back out of its mount and began her own adjustments to the intertwined network of wires that traced the curved interior of the plate. "It's just about ready, don't you think? I wonder if Tenchi will like it…"

Ryoko chuckled and shrugged as she moved to a second workstation, fitting together a series of locking metal plates into a kind of sleeve. "It's not what he's used to, that's for certain." Her slight smile faded as she ran her fingertips over the smooth metal surface. "I just hope he can learn how to use it before he needs to." She turned towards Washu, a frown pulling at the edges of her mouth. "How long do you think we can hold out here?"

The flash of the arc iron lit up Washu's face in a staccato rhythm as she finished the circuit Ryoko had started. "I don't really know…" Her voice was quiet, barely audible above the faint crackle of the soldering iron. "Mikaboshi's power fluctuates rapidly and on varying wavelengths, I'm having trouble pinning him down… And from this most recent display I can't even begin to determine what limits his strength can reach."

She sighed heavily and replaced the iron before turning around, bracing her hands on the table as she leaned against it. "But one thing is for certain, a theory I had about the nature of his power that Sasami confirmed while we were talking." Her lips twisted into a mirthless smile. "These clones we've been fighting? They all share a singular energy signature and they all emit on the exact opposite wavelength as Tenchi, the same energy signature that we witnessed during the GXP-94Θ event." She shifted and crossed her arms, hugging herself tightly as she felt an unbidden shiver roll up her spine. "The same signature I recorded just before Mikaboshi escaped."

Ryoko blinked rapidly, setting down the metal sleeve as she stepped forward. "Wait a second, so these clones... are they part of Tenchi or are they direct extensions of Mikaboshi's power?"

Shrugging and shaking her head, Washu sighed again. "I don't know for sure, maybe a little bit of both. All I know is that due to their connection with Mikaboshi, they were able to breach Tsunami's shield..." She bit at her lower lip nervously as she kept her eyes down. "And it seems as if they actually used her energy to grow stronger as a whole..."

She pushed her hands back into her deep pockets with a sigh as she looked over at Ryoko. "I only encountered the 'unique' clones of Tenchi, I have yet to observe the fighting style of the mass-produced copies. How did they attack?"

Ryoko shrugged and picked up an oversized bracer, adjusting the fittings with a small screwdriver. "Totally melee, strong, but not obscenely so..." She shuddered with a frown, remembering her encounter with the copies. "They didn't seem to exhibit any particular tactics, mostly just furious, berzerker rushing and attacking." She paused, looking up slightly. "But, after I blew a hole in the floor, one figured out how to get across, then they all knew how to do it."

Washu nodded, reaching up to stoke her chin. "I'd have to capture one and run some tests to be certain, but that's convinced me I'm right. Come here..." She waved her daughter over as she spread her hands, a shadow console coming to life with a faint electronic whine. With her fingertips, she drew a trio of circles, one orange, one magenta and one turquoise off to the right side and a silhouette of a person in the center of the screen. "So this is currently just a theory until I can get some hard data, but try to follow along..." She smirked as Ryoko shot her a scathing glare at the jibe.

She drew three lines feeding from the circles into the silhouette, making it fill with an amalgamation of the swirling colors. "So, we already understand that Tsunami, Tokimi and I are the progenitors of Mikaboshi, all of our powers feeding through the filter of Tenchi's experience and consciousness in an effort to create a new being stronger than any one of us alone." She paused a moment to roll her eyes, huffing out a frustrated breath. "So much for that experiment... Anyways, now that Tenchi and his symbiotic tenant are separated..." She flicked her fingers apart over the silhouette, splitting a blank copy from the swirling one. "Mikaboshi is in full control of the power that created him."

Washu's fingers flew across the screen, arcane symbols and calculations stretching across the space. Ryoko tried to follow along, but after the third line in the equation her eyes began to water and cross, forcing her to shake her head and rub her eyes vigorously. "For the love of... Mom, I never took 'Goddess-level quantum-calculus' back at the Academy, can you just explain it?"

With a sigh the Washu nodded and finished her equation with another moment of typing. "Fine. The basic idea is that by separating his power into smaller partitions of a whole sum, he can then split each portion into an almost infinite number of smaller energy signatures, each exactly the same and self-replicating, something akin to a recursive program that's constantly updating itself. Now from what you and Sasami both explained, it appears that they are not just mindless entities comprised of energy, they are actually adapting on a latitudinal scale, exhibiting altruism similar to many different kinds of insects and developing at a rapid scale!"

She selected a portion of the algorithm and then the silhouette of the 'Mikaboshi avatar', linking them together. In a blur of activity across the screen, the avatar grew to the height of the display as hundreds of smaller avatars spread out to the side of it. The Mikaboshi avatar still swirled with color as did each of the copies, but a small portion of the silhouette was blacked out.

"So they're bugs now?" Ryoko asked, still rather confused as she arched an eyebrow and examined the shadowscreen.

"How did you get through the academy thinking like that anyways?" Washu asked as Ryoko fumed quietly beside her. "No, miss-sarcasm, but close. Due to their shared heritage, they act as a unit, a singular creature made up of thousands of individual parts." She selected another section of her equation and tied it to one of the smaller avatars, then changed a variable in the algorithm. A subtle change came over the selected figure, shifting its color scheme from a flux of magenta, turquoise and orange by adding an all-over greenish tone. A moment passed and then the two avatars on either side of it changed as well. A stroke of a key on the shadow console provided a more direct visual effect, showing a greenish line tracing from the originally changed avatar to its neighbors, who then sent the changed code to their neighbors in an exponentially growing web of lines.

Ryoko's eyes went wide as she watched the data transmit from each changed unit to its adjacent neighbors, each changing in turn at increasing speed until the color flooded across the neatly-lined silhouettes. In the space of a minute the entire chart showed the changed avatars, the new data added to their existing code. She shook her head in disbelief. "A hive mind?"

Washu nodded gravely, her knuckles white as she clenched her fists against her thighs. "When one learns something new, each member of the swarm gains the same knowledge." She hissed out a breath through clenched teeth as she closed the terminal with a wave of her hand. "Worse yet, when they broke through Tsunami's shield, Sasami described them as 'testing' the energy first, throwing themselves against it like they were trying to find a weakness in the field." She looked over at Ryoko, her lips tight. "It's my assumption that since Mikaboshi's power originated from that of the Triad, he is able to manipulate our power somehow, bend it and adapt to it… An ability it seems he has passed down to his children…"

She took a deep breath and sighed out, standing up from the table and crossing her arms. "The only 'X' factor in this is the appearance of the three other clones we encountered yesterday…" She pursed her lips and shook her head slowly. "Those three are clearly Tenchi clones as well, but they are much stronger than the common clones that took the city, they are… unique somehow." She sighed again, arching an eyebrow at her daughter. "Any ideas on those three? Idneous, Eygon… and what was the one you and Tenchi took on?"

"Sego…" The name echoed coldly in her throat as Ryoko shivered slightly. "He almost killed us both, but somehow Tenchi got the upper hand on him." She shrugged and spread her hands. "Once Tenchi tapped into the power of his gemstone he was just as strong as Sego was, maybe stronger." Her brow furrowed in confusion as she thought back. "And…"

"Hmm?" Washu tilted her head, stepping closer to her daughter. "What is it?"

Ryoko shook her head, her brow still tight as she crossed her arms. "It was just that during the fight, just before the end, it seemed like Tenchi was seeing through Sego's attacks, countering him before he ever even moved." She shook her head again and shrugged her shoulders with a sigh. "Maybe it was just the increased speed from the gemstone or maybe he was just remembering his training from all those years ago…" She trailed off as she reached up and scratched her head. "I really can't say for sure."

Washu stroked her chin, her mouth tightened in thought. "There may be something there…" She said softly as she turned back to the table, half-heartedly looking over the suit of armor Ryoko had been finishing and clapping her hands together. "We'll deal with that in due time though, shall we tear him away from our resident blonde?"

Smiling wryly, Ryoko nodded and gathered up the remaining pieces of the suit in her arms, carrying them to the table. "Sure, we need to check the fit and run some tests on him in this, see how it suits his new powers." She set each piece out in line as her mother lifted a finger to her ear, pressing gently at her lobe.

"Please send Tenchi to area E17, clear access." A muffled reply echoed faintly from her ear and she nodded to herself. "Thank you." She touched her earlobe again and turned to Ryoko. "He's on his way, I'll go set up an area where we can test the suit."

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><p>Tenchi wiped the sweat from his brow, leaving a smear of blood from his glove across his forehead as he finished bandaging up the wounded arm of a young Seniwan officer. She smiled and thanked him as he tucked the end of the bandage into itself and pasted it with sealant.<p>

"There we go, you should be fine, just drink lots of water and get some rest, okay?" He patted her shoulder as he stood, offering her a warm smile.

"Mister Masaki?" Tenchi turned to see a young Iowan man in a lab coat and a dark blue jumpsuit, a clip-board tucked under one arm. The man clicked his heels together and saluted him before he relaxed and adjusted his black-framed glasses. "Lady Washu and Miss Ryoko require your presence immediately. If you would follow me?" His words were curt and snipped short in a very official manner, though Tenchi noticed that he seemed to extend Washu's name in a strange drawl.

"But… wait a second, I've still got patients to… and I should tell Miho…"

"This has been accounted for, Mister Masaki." The young man said sharply as he turned on his heel to look back at him. "I have informed Lt. Commander Kuramitsu and we have additional medical staff en' route to assist in her efforts." He arched an eyebrow at Tenchi, his mouth a straight line. "The matter is rather urgent, so if you would please?"

Feeling rather out of place, Tenchi nodded nervously and followed at the young man's heels down the twisting corridors of Washu's lab, his mind racing.

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><p>"So… what's it like?"<p>

Sasami stirred, blinking herself awake as she sat up slightly in the medical bed. "W-what?" The anesthetic Washu had administered had worn off ages ago, but the pain pills one of her assistants had given her numbed the worst of her aches. Ryo-Ohki had followed along with when she'd been moved to a separate room to get some rest, now curled against her back as the princess dozed in a drug induced state.

"What is it like, knowing your eye will never be the same?"

With a sigh, Sasami shifted away from her young adopted sister, turning with a grunt to face her. "It's… scary." She said with a soft chuckle, her mouth turning up at the edges. "I… I've been hurt before, pretty bad… but I always got better, always healed or got fixed up." Her smile faded slowly as she looked around the sparely furnished resting room and took a deep breath. "Honestly, I'm more afraid of what's coming next than what's happened so far…" The princess reached out with a bandaged hand to stroke Ryo-Ohki's tri-toned hair gently. "I'm scared for you, Ryo-Ohki… For what might happen to you, to all of us…"

Her good eye sparkled in the dim light of the room as she smiled again, a sad turn of her lips. "I…" She paused, biting her lower lip as she chuckled again, a mirthless sound. "I can't fight this by myself… I can't protect you, Ryo-Ohki…" She took a shuddering breath as a tear formed and fell down her cheek to soak into her pillow. "I can't… I…" Her lower lip trembled as tears fell in a steady stream down her cheek and her iron-clad walls broke before the weight of the teenage cabbit.

Her lips pulled tight into a line, Ryo-Ohki pulled her sibling in closer, holding her gently as she pushed her fingers through the princesses short-cropped turquoise hair. "Shhh… It's okay, _Ane_… " She whispered as she leaned in, letting her cheek rest against the top of the older woman's head.

"It's my turn to protect you this time…"

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><p><em><strong>Thank you so much for taking the time to read my latest chapter, I think this one answers a lot of questions I've gotten through the course of this story and maybe just poses a few more questions too. As always, take a moment, re-read your favorite part and leave a review! Each review I get is just another push for me to get the next chapter out, so if you want more please don't wait to let me know what you think! Was it good? Bad? Something you think should be changed or added? Just drop me a line and I'll see what I can do to make the story more enjoyable for you and readers like you! Thanks again and I hope you enjoyed it!<strong>_


	16. The Old Moon Asked The Three

**A Dream Unrequited**

Chapter 16

_The Old Moon asked the Three_

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><p>Hello there true believers! Sorry this update has taken so so so so so long, I've stressed and strived and pushed and sweated over this chapter instead of just letting it flow. So I'm posting half now and focusing on the rest with a bit more of a relaxed air. Look for more updates soon and thanks to everyone who's stuck with my story this long!<p>

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><p>All original characters and settings are property of Funimation, not the Author<p>

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><p>As Tenchi and the man called '<em>E<em>' wound through the corridors that led away from the main lab barely three words had passed between the two, despite Tenchi's attempts at small talk. When it became obvious that only grunts and single word responses would be forthcoming, he relented and followed in silence through the bubbling tubes of unidentified liquid and blinking machinery that crowded the half dozen rooms they passed through. The tight lipped young man made him uncomfortable, not only by his rude behavior, but his response to the first question Tenchi had posed him.

_"So... what does Washu want with me?" _ He had asked as the first of several locked doors before them was unlocked by a series of rapid keystrokes on flickering keypad composed of reactive light.

_"That is for her to explain, I was only told to bring you."_ Was the terse reply. Despite everything he had gone through, or perhaps because of it, a tightness developed in Tenchi's gut as he wondered just what lie in store for him at the hands of the mad genius...

_'__**Two**__ mad geniuses now...'_ His mouth twisted into a wry smirk as he nearly walked into the back of his guide, the man having come to a sudden halt before yet another waist-high security kiosk. A sudden sense of open space made Tenchi's look around, seeing the corridor they had just passed through had opened into a single massive room easily a thousand feet across, the reinforced metal walls curving up and around them in a half circle, leading his gaze upwards as his mouth dropped open slowly.

A great vault door loomed above them, set into a solid wall of riveted metal plates that stretched . It climbed into the shadowy heights above, the cog-shaped slab of metal an imposing sight. Washu's assistant punched in an access code at the small holographic keypad that lit the top of the column, and a burst of hissing steam and the groaning of hidden pneumatics made Tenchi swallow nervously as the hundred-ton door began to swing open with the slow, unstoppable speed of an advancing glacier.

"Wow…" Tenchi barely breathed the word, standing in awe of the mechanical marvel and turned sharply as he heard a derisive snort from '_E_'. The young man shook his head and rolling his eyes openly as he waited for the door to finish opening. Tenchi's mouth twisted into an annoyed line and his anger flared suddenly as his cheeks flushed.

"What was that about?" He asked sharply as he crossed his arms and arched an eyebrow.

'_E_' only spread his hands and shook his head, his eyes cold. "Oh, nothing, I simply would have assumed that you would be used to this by now. Having lived with Washu for so long and seeing her work, even being intimately involved in it I would have thought you would no longer be amazed by how brilliant she can be." His eyes flashed with sullen anger as they met Tenchi's. "It seems some people just can't appreciate what they have."

Tenchi flushed and dropped his eyes to the side, then brought his eyes back up and met '_E_'s own boldly. "Look, you don't know anything about the history between Washu and I, so how about you just open the doors and let me go? She bade you bring me to her, not berrate me." He walked forward, bodily shouldering the slender man aside as he headed for the opening in the huge wall, the heavy door still opening with glacial slowness.

'_E_' stumbled aside, then coughed and pushed up his glasses with a finger, his mouth set in a hard straight line "I wouldn't do that…"

Tenchi stopped short and turned back to glare at the lab-coat wearing man, his brow furrowed. "And just why not?"

'_E_' arched an eyebrow behind his glasses, then sighed and waved Tenchi away. "You know what, suit yourself."_ E_ replied as he crossed his arms.

Tenchi huffed, rolling his eyes as he turned back to continue towards the threshold of the secure lab. The heavy door stood open ahead, not particularly inviting, but whatever awaited him at the hands of the Hakubi women surely had to be better than spending time with his current company. As his foot crossed the threshold a claxon sounded and Tenchi whipped around, looking first from the coldly smirking 'E' to the darkness of the room around him.

From the high, shadowed corners of the expansive space several blurs of silver appeared, humming through the air and sped towards him. He braced himself, arms raised to fend off the attack, but the silvery objects stopped several meters from where he stood. Each was perhaps three feet across and shaped like a tear drop, a massive red lens that shone from within dominating their fronts. Half a dozen identical drones hovered in a semi-circle around him.

**AUTOMATED DEFENSES ACTIVE: PLEASE PRESENT IDENTIFICATION WITHIN FIVE SECONDS. **

The mechanical voice echoed through the open area, bouncing back sharply and making Tenchi cringe as his ears rang from the intense volume of it.

**Five… ** Several glossy drones had swooped in, forming a circle around Tenchi, each bristling with multi-barreled mini-guns spooling lazily as their large red eyes focused and unfocused on the intruding man.

**Four… **Swallowing hard, Tenchi saw his blood-red reflection warped in the concave lens of the nearest drone as a trickle of cold sweat wormed its way down his spine.

**Three…** Looking over his shoulder pleadingly at the assistant, he saw the young man grinning smugly, his arms crossed in front over his chest as his eyes sparkled from behind his glasses.

**Two…** _'This is it… I'm really going to die… Again…'_ Tenchi felt his knees go weak as he remembered all the things he still wanted to do with his newly recovered life. He closed his eyes tight, grimacing as he heard the slow spooling of the Gatling guns speed up to a high-pitched whine.

**One…**

"Personal Ident E774291-Δ, escorting guest per authorization εε-524." The chilly assistant's voice echoed out into the open foyer, cutting above the whine of the spinning guns. Their rotation slowed immediately and stopped, pulling back into the teardrop-shaped drones bodies with the sound of hidden machinery.

**IDENTITY CONFIRMED, WELCOME TO SECTOR 17, 'E'. ** Tenchi slowly opened his eyes, beads of sweat clinging to his brow as he watched the silver bodied drones float back to the recessed indentions set around the massive doorway. Letting out a slow, shuddering breath, he drooped with his hands slack at his sides as the young man, this '_e_', walked to meet him.

"Perhaps you should listen next time I offer you a suggestion? Hmm?" A smirk played across his face as he strode confidently deeper into the massive, dimly lit lab. Tenchi gaped for a moment, his anger flaring before he released the emotion in one heavy sigh and nodded as he jogged to catch up.

Towering on either side of them stood vast marvels of scientific engineering that strained Tenchi's concepts of technology, several making his head hurt even to look at as they seemed to shift through euclidian planes as they walked past. Despite his years of living with the scientific genius he did indeed lack the indiference that '_E_' apparently had to the magesty of Washu's prowess with the scientific arts. Each new sight of her hidden laboratory filled him with renewed awe at her skill and mastery of technology beyond his comprehention.

"We're here." _E_'s voice snapped him back to the present, making him jump slightly as they stood before a single unassuming door set into a plasteel wall. Blinking hard, Tenchi turned to look back at the massive doorway they had passed through only minutes before to find it lost in the distance past the seemingly endless rows of decommissioned or unfinished machines.

"But we… didn't we just…?" He turned back to see the young assistant only smiling in his now familiarly condescending way.

"You've got a lot to learn still, Tenchi." The tone of his voice made Tenchi's brow furrow as it reminded him all too much of his prep-school mathematics professor. With practiced ease '_E_' turned back to the smaller door and punched in a series of numbers on a holographic panel beside it and pressed his open palm against a small translucent orb that swirled into life just below the keypad. A hidden chime sounded and the door slid back with a whisper of hydraulic pistons.

The light from the room beyond made him squint, its brilliance a stark change from the dimly lit warehouse of technology they had just passed through. At the sound of the door opening, Ryoko and Washu looked up from their work, both dressed in lab coats over a pair of matching jumpsuits, the white in jarring contrast against the drab olive green of their clothing. Ryoko's frown of concentration broke into a welcoming smile as she noticed their visitors, extinguishing her white-hot torch and pulling the goggles she wore up to sit in her cyan hair, leaving a faint outline of soot where they had sat a moment before. "Ah, there's our little test subject!"

Washu broke into a wide grin as well, putting down a scalloped gauntlet as she watched Tenchi stiffen and grow pale at her Ryoko's remark, stifling a little smirk. "She _is_ my daughter after all…" She chirped as the pair walked around the stainless steel work-table they had been leaning over and advanced on him as he started out of his stunned paralysis and backed towards the door involuntarily.

"Oh no… not both of you at once…" Tenchi looked back to '_E_', his eyes pleading. "C-can we just go back to the drones?"

Clearing his throat to cover his own grin, Washu's assistant straightened his face and snapped off a sharp salute to the women who stood before him. "Washu, Miss Ryoko, I have obtained your specimen." He relaxed and tried to hide his still threatening smile as Tenchi fidgeted under the surprisingly hungry gaze of the pair. "If there is nothing else..?"

Washu shook her head as she broke her gaze on Tenchi to look over at the young man. "Of course, I know you're still quite busy. I'll be with you as soon as I'm able." '_E_'s hand shot up in another salute, and Tenchi couldn't help but notice a faint flush to the assistant's cheeks before he walked off back the way they had come.

Turning back slowly he saw Ryoko and Washu still walking toward him, their eyes sparkling with mischievous delight.

"Tenchi…"

"Teeeenchiiiii…"

Both women crooned at him as they walked forward, their hands outstretched and a mad kind of grin across their faces. Sweat dripped down his brow as he stepped backwards as his hands groped for the open doorway. The soft hiss and sound of magnetic locks sealing his exit heralded the sudden watery feeling of his stomach dropping and he felt their soft yet surprisingly strong hands close onto his tunic and pull him forward.


	17. A Nightingale in a Golden Cage

A Dream Unrequited

Chapter 17

_A Nightingale in a Golden Cage_

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><p><em>All original characters and settings are property of Funimation, not the Author<em>

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><p>"L-look, I know I'm older… and you've always talked about… now just w-wait a second… !" He stammered, his cheeks flushed red as they pulled him in close, the mother and daughter pair each pressing against his arms as they dragged him forward, both enticingly soft and welcoming despite his trepidation.<p>

A puzzled look crossed Ryoko's face. "Why whatever are you talking about, Tenchi?" A cheshire grin spread across her face as she saw him flushed and bothered, snickering as she leaned surreptitiously over, half whispering to her mother. "Oh no, he thinks we're going to harvest him!"

A matching grin spread across Washu's face as she whispered back. "Poor boy, he doesn't remember, does he?" Her innocent tone fairly dripped with an almost syrypy sweetness as they tittered, leaving him in to furrow his brow in an odd mixture of confusion and inappropritate arrousal.

"Wait… what are you talking…" He looked from one to the other, then towards the worktable they had both been crouched over, swallowing hard. At first glance he saw a body laid out across the metal surface, some kind of metalic skin laid out over a humanoid form. His form.

"What the hell?!" He jerked back, teeth clenched as he felt a different kind of sweat break out across his forehead, all thoughts of the two voluptuous women currently holding him tight turned from nervous delight into sudden terror. "W-what have you done?!"

Washu pushed a finger to his lips and chuckled. "Silly boy…" She took a moment to look him over with a look full of inappropriate lascivious intent. "Sorry, man… We had to take some of your DNA to make sure it would associate with you properly." She lifted a hand in a gesture of useless banality. "Of course it will have to calibrate to you, but we gave it a head start."

She released him and swept her arms to the table, the 'body' of Tenchi masaki suddenly flickering as the holographic display refreshed. "We made you a present." She grinned at his confused look, then giggled at his sudden blush as Ryoko kissed him on the cheek.

"We worked really hard on it, so the least you could do is try it on!" The younger of the Hakubi women said sweetly, pushing their captive forward until he all but stumbled over the table, looking at himself laid out prone on the surface. He let his hands rest on the edge of the table as his eyes roamed over the forged metal that was molded around his bodyform.

The chest was dominated by a triangular slab of metal, a semi-circular edge around it stretching out almost like wings towards its apex at the sternum of the model's chest. In the center of the triangle a tear-drop shaped gemstone glinted in the light of the workshop.

Along the right arm, interlocking plates of metal climbed down close to the elbow and a pair of thick metal rings hugged the forearm, one near the elbow and the other at its wrist.

His brow furrowed as he stepped around the table, reaching out to lift the hand as Ryoko stepped aside. The flickering hand was coated with a thin film of flexible metal across the palm with wires stretching up to connect to small caps over the tips of the fingers, similar wires stretching across the back of the hand as well to join to the thick cuff at the wrist.

Stranger still was an odd sort of cage, spider-like in appearance that rested against the inside of the wrist and wrapped halfway around the model's forearm. Pointed 'legs' gripped the forearm and held the cage in place while several needle-like wires pointed inwards, converging on a single point of the wrist.

The left arm was mostly bare, save an oversized bracer that reached from the back of the hand to almost the elbow and easily measured several inches in diameter. Tenchi moved to the other side and looked closely at this too, surprised to find the bracer was not a solid piece but several layers of suspended metal stacked on top of one-another.

A pair of boots finished off the outfit, rather plain looking despite their metallic sheen, straight cut with molded metal cuffs just below the knees. He paused, looking up at the two women who stood on either side of the worktable, a faint smile on his face. "You made this for me?" He gave them an embarrassed smile as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I suppose I should apologize, I mean I thought you were…" He paused, his brow furrowing. "Wait… you took some of my DNA?"

With an innocent smile Washu waved his outbutst away. "Please, we just scraped a few of your skin cells while you were still asleep, just to study them. My old samples had degraded over the years." She grinned and looked over at him with half lidded eyes. "We didn't molest you if that's what you were insinuating…"

Tenchi's tongue felt like a slab of teak in his mouth as he tried to stammer a reply, his cheeks burning as Ryoko crossed her arms and gave him a playful smirk. "We were saving that for when we've got more time." She sached past him, the jumpsuit and lab coat doing little to hide her curves as she walked to stand next to her mother.

"But," She began as she leaned on the edge of the table. "That is going to have to wait. Right now we have work to do." She lifted a hand and swiped a translucent console into view, touching a few buttons on its surface, causing the holographic image to fade and disappear. "So, what do you think?"

"It's really very impressive…" He paused and lifted his fingers from the layered bracer, nervously as he let his fingers linger on the layered bracer. "But what exactly is it?"

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><p>Fitting his fingertips into the pseudo-glove, Tenchi curled his hand into a fist and flexed his arms, barely feeling the weight of the armor that clung to his body. He looked himself up and down, rather impressed by the armor, if not by its application. "Do I <em>HAVE<em> to be naked to put it on?" His voice dipped into a whine as he moved his other hand to his groin. He heard the whir of a zoom-lens behind him and turned quickly, his brow furrowed.

A familiar snicker sounded from the other side of the curtain before the owner cleared her slightly nasal voice. "Well technically no, but it needs to calibrate itself to your bio-organic signature first. Easiest way for it to do that is maximize the skin-surface to sensor area ratio. Activate the suit like Ryoko showed you."

Grumbling as he moved one of his hands up to the tear-drop shaped gemstone, trying to spread the fingers of the other to provide better coverage as he pressed the stone in gently with a metal-capped finger. The faint hum of energy flowing through the device made him jump, but the sensation that followed nearly floored him. His vision blurred as searing energy forced itself in a hot line into his chest and coursed along his nerves. A creeping line of fabric woven from the pulsing energy began growing outward from the breastplate as he watched with watery eyes.

Perhaps it was just an optical illusion brought on by the rush of power, but he could swear he saw his nerves flaring through his skin just ahead of that layer of coalescing material. A maze of lines lighting up in brilliant yellow, red and blue lights racing ahead of the creeping layer of fabric. In a manner of moments the thin, surprisingly warm suit had wrapped itself around his body, making him shiver disquietingly as it clung to his skin, leaving little to the imagination as it gripped him rather awkwardly.

After another few seconds the jumpsuit's snug fit relaxed and shifted to fit his form, loose enough in all the right places as it fit him neatly. He turned to look at himself in the standing mirror and stood amazed. He felt as if the suit was feeding a kind of nervous energy into him, but seeing himself decked out in the wonder of technology Ryoko and Washu had created made him feel all the stronger. He chuckled as he touched his face, half of it colored the same black as the suits accents, clearly an addition by Ryoko to match her own adopted battle motif.

He turned to look at himself from a different angle, but stopped short as a sudden searing pain in his wrist made him open his mouth in a strangled cry. He clamped his jaws tight enough to make his teeth squeak as he twisted with the sudden agony. His right hand curled into a claw as he clutched his forearm, watching the spider-like cage fused with the bracer come to life. His breath hissed in through clenched teeth as the needle-like wires dug into his skin, burrowing into the flesh of his wrist like hungry tentacles, eager for the gemstone implanted there.

All at once the pain was lost as his back arched at the sudden rush of power that coursed through his body. If it had come as a trickle or an easy stream before this hit him like a tidal wave, his every cell bursting with its wroth and burning insistently along his nerves. The intensity of it lifting him to his toes and then down crashing to his knees as his eyes bulged. He caught himself on his outstretched hands as the spasms wracked his body, pitching him forward to choke in a rasping breath.

Colors flashed in his vision as his head felt thick and heavy, blackness slowly creeping in as he reeled. Slowly the sudden rush diminished to a low-level hum behind his eyes and left him breathless as he slumped to his elbows, hands trembling as his forehead drooped to the cool floor, sweat trickling across his skin in little furrowing rivulets to pool on the plate steel. He rolled his head to one side to look at his pierced wrist, his muscles twitching under the snug material. Still reeling, he watched the 'fabric' open around the bulge of his gemstone, the flesh an angry red color, first he thought from the burrowing tendrils, then more clearly as a vermillion light shone up through his skin, growing brighter with each passing moment.

He held his breath as his skin split bloodlessly and the sparkling ruby surface of the Choushin gemstone rose through his flesh like some long submerged island. It came to rest halfway out of his wrist, flaring to life with an internal fire. A shuddering exhale ripped from his throat as the rush of power and the shock of his transformation faded away. Slowly, carefully, he rose to his feet and took a tentative step towards the curtain, his legs trembled but held him as he pushed back the privacy of the heavy fabric.

The two women beyond looked up from their consoles, eyes widening appreciatively as he stepped into view. "Looks like we did a fair job, it fits you well." Washu said, covertly slipping the camera she had been fiddling with out of view. She turned back to the data that scrolled lazily across the hovering, shadowy console next to her chair. "Now if you would do us a favor and try to focus on the central aperture, we'd like to see how well it transmits."

She stood and walked over to him and reached up, placing the sticky side of a sensor against each of his temples, one at the hollow of his neck and a fourth on the glistening swell of the central gemstone on his chest plate. She retreated to her console and hit several keys in rapid succession as Tenchi looked down, touching the fist-sized stone with the metal tips of his gauntleted fingers.

"So what, just concentrate on this or… Hey now, what's the big idea?" He looked up and saw the two had donned heavy foil-faced jackets and blast goggles and moved from in front of their work-stations to crouch slightly behind what looked like a blast shield that had been tucked against one wall of the cluttered workshop. He furrowed his brow as he took a step forward, causing the pair to flinch back slightly behind the curved half-wall of metal.

"Simply a precaution!" Ryoko insisted, waving her arms for him to stop, her eyebrows arched up in alarm. "We've crunched some numbers and, well there's a slight chance of overload."

Now it was Tenchi's turn to look concerned, a sudden cool sweat gripping him. "Overload?!" He gripped the cuff of one of the gauntlets, trying to pry the thing from his hand.

"We've installed limiters and fail-safes so it should be perfectly fine! The chance of catastrophic failure is very very small!" Washu assured him as she shrank below the heavy metal barrier till only her glittering green eyes were visible. "Try to stay calm and just focus your energy, Ryoko tells me you're a quick learner so it shouldn't be a problem for you to feed the stone…"

"Calm, you want me to be calm…" Tenchi took a slow, deep breath and reached up to rub his fingertips across his furrowed brow, teeth clenched. "We have an army of my clones destroying the city, three super-powered doppelgangers and a pissed off God-Child out there somewhere intent on destroying all of us and now I'm wearing a potential bomb and you're asking me to be calm?!" He snarled, feeling his face flush as he tensed.

A thin alarm whined from the console Ryoko had been standing in front of moments before, a red light flashing on the shadowy translucent monitor. "Ah, Tenchi, you need to relax, the suit is…"

Her words were lost as a crack of thunder drowned out all sound in the confined space. Vermillion electricity grounded in a rippling wave around Tenchi's feet, tongues of it crawling down his arms and legs as the central gemstone flared suddenly. With a machinegun crack his back arched painfully as power flooded his veins and burst outward, ripped from him through the burning stone at his sternum. Lost in the fearsome roar of the power that shuddered through him he could feel the mechanical monstrosity strapped to his body pulling energy from him like water down a drain.

Suddenly and with almost lucid clarity he also was aware of the sensation of violation and indignant rage that ebbed from the gemstone at his wrist. The power was being taken, not given, without leave or permission, an inexcusable offense. If Tenchi had even had the facilities to calm the infuriated, somehow sentient energy, he wouldn't have had a chance. Like a spurned lover the Choushin gem thrust back against the draining force, giving it all it wanted and more, leaving Tenchi to drift on the wave and hope against hope he could float.

The vengeful onrush of power billowed out from his contorted body in a rippling burst, scarlet light scorching the air itself with the scent of hot ozone and a roar that shook the small room and sent worktables somersaulting to smash against the far walls in a spray of tools, spare parts and half-finished inventions.

As suddenly as it had come, the power receded, smoke roiling up from the scorched and ruined center stone in the breastplate and leaving Tenchi to slump heavily to the ground as his legs his refused to support him any longer. Ryoko and Washu stood up slowly from their crouched position behind the metal wall, their goggles askew and hair blasted back from their faces. "Huh." Was all Washu managed to utter as sparks danced gaily from smoldering equipment and she took in the nimbus of blackened metal behind where Tenchi crouched.

A second claxon sounded and with a series of little pops water began cascading down in sheets from the high roof of the room, soaking its occupants. Dripping and frowning, the pair hustled to Tenchi's side, kneeling next to him and helping him back against the still warm rear wall of the workshop. "Oh Tenchi, I told you to calm down!" Ryoko chided as she and her mother helped him to sit up. "The suit was designed to operate based on your emotions, though it looks like it still needs some calibration… Are you okay?"

His eyelids opening drowsily, he lolled his head to the side to look at her. "Yeah… I'm just peachy." He sighed and grimaced as he worked his way up the wall to stand on shaky legs, letting the pair support him and guide him to a seat nearby where he happily slumped again, his elbows on his knees and his hands dangling between them. A whispering hiss issued from above them as the sprinkler system shut itself off automatically, leaving the trio dripping quietly onto the floor as Tenchi recovered, rivulets of water running down his face to drip from his chin.

"There are a few things I need for you two to do for me in return for me having been your plaything, alright?" He sighed, breathless and aching from somewhere deep inside his chest. He held up one gauntleted finger, his head still slumped low on his shoulder. "One, please… please stop teasing me so much, it was cute when I was a kid, but I think we're all a little too old and a little too stressed for it to be funny right now." Mother and daughter exchanged glances, then looked down, shuffling their feet embarrassed. "Two," A matching finger rose to join the first. "When you're trying out some crazy new experimental invention on me, tell me how it works first?"

He moved his hand up, smoothing his soaked, messy hair back and up out of his eyes as he stood a little uneasily. He waved them away as they stepped forward to help him, his stance growing more solid as he regained his equilibrium. "And three, tell me everything you know about what's going on." Ryoko cut her eyes quickly from his to her mother, who in turn tightened her lips into a thin line, her eyes growing dark as she was still for a moment, then nodded curtly.

"Fair enough, Tenchi. I think you deserve that at least. Mind you, it's not going to be good news."

He offered her a weak smile and shook his head. "I never thought it would be. You both are too much perfectionists to make a simple mistake like overcalibrating a suit this powerful. You were rushing to get it done, weren't you?" He watched as they stiffened, then nodded again. "So… it's that bad, huh?"

Washu took a slow, deep breath and started towards her smoking, sparking console. "Tenchi… it's worse than bad, this is something that…"

Her words were cut off as another thunderous sound shook the laboratory, rocking the floor under their feet. Their arms stretched out for balance, they somehow managed to keep from toppling over as the tremor slowly ebbed away, leaving them staring at one another, shocked. "Okay… that one wasn't my fault." Tenchi said softly.

Ryoko shook her head, rushing past him and drew a quick gesture near one of the more intact computer consoles, bringing a flickering translucent screen to life several inches above it. She let her fingers fly across the keys, her brow furrowed in intense concentration as the screen flickered in and out of existence, static rippling across its surface. Her eyes narrowed for a moment, then widened suddenly. "No…"

Now Washu was at her side, looking over her shoulder. "What is it? The source…" She scanned the wavering screen and then slammed her fist into the console, causing the screen to short out for the last time with a fizzling little pop and a final spray of sparks.

"What's going on, did something go wrong?" Tenchi asked, startled as he watched the two quickly stuff tools into satchels and dig equipment out of the piles of detritus caused by his concussive burst and the still ebbing tremor.

Washu turned to him as Ryoko took the overstuffed bag she proffered, her daughter rushing to the doorway and punching the keycode to send the door whispering back along its track. The older woman took his hand and hauled him along after her towards the passageway leading out of the workshop, glancing back at him with a cold, serious expression even as her eyes sparkled with terror.

"They're trying to get through."

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><p><strong>Thanks for sticking with me through another chapter, my dear readers! I hope you're enjoying the new chapters as much as I have enjoyed writing them and finally getting them ready for your eager eyes. Be sure to review and let me know how I'm doing, it's been a little while so I might have gotten rusty!<strong>


	18. A Change Came O'er the Spirit

A Dream Unrequited:

Chapter 18

_A Change Came O'er the Spirit_

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><p><em>All original characters are property of Funimation, not the author.<em>

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><p>A second blast shook the lab as Washu paused briefly to punch the access code to yet another door that block the trio's progress. The door slid back on its tracks with a hiss, barely halfway open before the three were cramming themselves through and into the corridor beyond. The floor heaved beneath the trio's feet as yet another concussive blast rumbled in from every direction at once, almost painfully loud in the passageway.<p>

"How could they be trying to get in?!" Tenchi panted as he kept pace with Ryoko and her mother, molded steel paneled walls flying past in their headlong rush towards the central chamber. "I thought this place existed in its own personal dimension or something."

"It does…" Ryoko huffed, glancing up at Washu as the older woman pulled ahead, her lab coat flapping behind her as she put her finger to her ear and began breathlessly issuing orders. "But even still, it has its weak points… besides the usual entrance and exit, when we opened the portal to help Sasami and everyone we had to weaken the internal structure of this place to create the gate." They turned a sharp corner, following Washu as she took it a moment before them to find her activating another security kiosk.

"For the love of…" Ryoko panted, hands on her knees as she caught her breath. "WHY do you have so many locks around here?! It's not like anyone else is down here BUT you." She stood, pressing her fists into the small of her back and stretching, her breath coming easier after a moment.

Washu shook her head, her already disheveled magenta hair tossing further as she growled through her clenched teeth. She hammered in the access code for the third time, her shaking hand missing the final digit again, eliciting a . With a snarl she brought her fist down on the panel, shattering the screen in a spray of plexiglass and a shower of sparks. The door jerked for a moment, then opened as Tenchi and Ryoko arched their eyebrows at her.

She turned, her shoulders heaving with her ragged breath as she gestured enthusiastically at the opened door. "Can we save the idiotic questions till we get someplace where we can actually DO something about what's happening?!" She turned and bolted down the hallway beyond, leaving the pair to stand for a moment in silence before another growing tremor urged them to action.

Two more locked doors and three of the strange tremors slowed their passage before the trio plowed into the central chamber, out of breath and beaded with sweat. Tenchi stumbled back, gaping at the bustle of activity in the large space. People scurried about like insects, carrying equipment or helping the wounded into a cordoned off section packed with tents and cots, the low groans of those yet attended to lost in the rumbling murmur of hundreds of voices raised together.

Even with the wide open space and the high ceiling he had to raise his voice to be heard above the din. "So now can you explain what is going on?" He turned his gaze to Washu as she took a PAD from one of the uniformed PDS soldiers, the grizzled older man's hands shaking with nervous energy as she ticked off several items from the display and nodded curtly before handing it back.

"The Brothers have found us, somehow… I'm assuming they traced the residual energy signature from the gate we opened to lock onto us, but I can't be certain yet. All I know is that they're attempting to adjust our H-wave to become in synch with that of the standard material plane, resulting in sudden and catastrophic simultaneous compression and decompression of our localized temporal state…" She glanced back at him and sighed heavily at his gawping, confused expression. "Somehow they're trying to rip us back into the world and if they succeed we'll be torn apart and implode at the same time."

The look of understanding that washed across his face shifted smoothly into one of terror as Tenchi realized the severity of the news. "So, what do we do? How can we stop them?" He looked around at the buzzing activity, clenching and unclenching his fists rhythmically as he felt a shiver roll up his spine. He almost jumped as a hand landed on his shoulder, a tiny arc of crimson electricity feathering up from the central gemstone to snap at the hand.

Ryoko pulled her hand back sharply, hissing in breath through her teeth as she shook her scorched appendage. "Geez, calm down Tenchi, you're going to freak out again and blow everyone up like this." She flexed her hand making sure the damage wasn't permanent before continuing. "We're going to do what we can to counteract their efforts, but it's going to be difficult. We still need to figure out just how they're even doing this, it's not something we've really considered as a possibility."

She turned to Washu, the older woman already heading off towards a bank of blurring shadow screens that hovered around her trademark floating cushion. Half a dozen screens already flickered with activity, scrolling through screens quickly, each streaming with columns of numbers or bristling with fluctuating wave graphs. She scrolled through one of these, her brow furrowing as she saw the spikes and resulting valleys of energy that were battering the extra-dimensional plane.

Ryoko appeared at her shoulder, making a little worried sound in the back of her throat as she watched the subtly changing wavelength change across the scrolling graph. "It's just like Sasami said… they're trying again and again… like they're searching for weaknesses." Her mother nodded, face stern. Washu brought her hands up, a shadow-console whispering into being under her fingers as she began typing, lines of code streaming across her screen as she worked.

Tenchi moved towards the pair, his mouth turned down with worry as he watched the data floating across the translucent screens. The complex columns of characters were beyond his comprehension, but the gravity of the situation was not. He took a deep breath and felt his guts churning with fear as he considered what might be just outside of their protective little bubble of time and space, what the divine child he has loosed onto the universe might be doing as they sat here trying to keep themselves from being torn apart.

Shaking his head, he opened his mouth to speak, then winced as something pinched at the back of his mind. A tiny, sharp pain, like someone had just pushed a pin into the base of his skull. He reached back to rub at the spot, then his eyes opened wide as he felt his insides shiver. "BRACE YOURSELVES!" He bellowed, his voice echoing suddenly above the buzzing din of activity in the wide open room, making everyone turn as he reached out and hauled on Ryoko and Washu, pulling them close.

"Tenchi! What…?!" Ryoko stammered for a moment before the first tremor began to ripple through the lab. Just before the wave crashed down onto the bubble of their reality, Tenchi realized he could 'see' the impact like ripples in a pond. It came in concentric circles that reached slowly outward, but not from only one point in the open space, instead he saw it flowing in from everywhere at once, a dizzying sensation of vertigo gripped him as his mind tried to wrap itself around the crazy non-eucildian wrongness of it. He felt the growing wave crest and tensed as it broke with the rolling sound of thunder, deafeningly loud in the enclosed space.

The floor beneath their feet heaved and buckled, stretching impossibly only to return to its original state a moment later. The entire lab groaned around them as it twisted and wrenched against itself and struggled to maintain cohesion. For what felt like several minutes the screeching, tortured groan of metal and the slowly receding peals of thunder continued, then as suddenly as the onslaught had come it faded, the tremors and stretching slipping away to leave the rooms occupants shaken and struggling to keep their feet but unharmed.

Relaxing slowly, Tenchi released the two women and stood back, his head buzzing and ears ringing as Washu looked up at him, eyes narrowing. "How did you know…?"

"I don't know… I just felt it all of a sudden." Tenchi shrugged, his brow furrowed. "I felt something just before it happened, then I knew it was coming. Not that I _thought_ it was coming, but I KNEW it was coming. I could see it happen." He said softly, shaking his head. "Just like before…"

Now it was Ryoko's turn to look at him sharply. "So you COULD see what that Sego guy was going to do before he did it… Mom was right, it's like you're a part of them too…"

Tenchi took a step back, jaw tight and eyes blazing. "What do you mean? I'm nothing like them!"

"But they _did_ come out of you, Tenchi. That might be something we can use to push them back…" Washu said calmly as the preparations continued around them. "And we need any chance we can get, we can't take another hit like that last one." She shook her head, teeth clenched. "The time between the shockwaves seems to be fairly regular, perhaps they have to recharge whatever machine they're using to try to break through?" She clenched her fists, hissing out a curse as she trembled slightly, barely restraining herself from bursting with restrained tension. With a slow, drawn out exhale, she turned and looked at her daughter and the young man beside her.

"We can't stay here." She said with an air of finality, looking around at the soldiers and workers around them, the nurses and wounded, their friends and family as she tensed again, this time in fear. "We have to go out there and stop them, somehow."

* * *

><p>Smoke rose in slowly thinning columns from what remained of the once majestic metropolis, towering skyscrapers and architectural marvels reduced to scorch stained rubble and twisted skeletons of steel and glass. The streets below the cities carcass were cluttered with crashed shuttles, shattered panes of glass, slabs of fallen plasteel and the broken forms of those unlucky enough to cross the swarms path or too slow to evade their relentless onslaught.<p>

Towards the city center the streets seethed, appearing to boil from high above as if heated to a dull molten river, sections of it moving in slow shifting tides. This flowing mass stretched out in broken lines and webs across the city, the molasses thick mire twisting and bunching upon itself the closer toward an observer got. At the epicenter of the city the activity resolved itself as the street, or more accurately the occupants of the street clambered over one another in an attempt to get as close as possible to the broken circle they gathered around.

A distinct line was held by the swarming Tenchi clones that choked the city streets and clambered up the groaning, creaking remains of the buildings they clung to. The mindless, insect-like automatons pushed and squeezed, every single inch of available space taken up by one of the jittery mask-faced bodies. The wall of their twitching and expressionless forms climbed up to the third story windows of the surrounding ruins, surging forward with each thrust of the bodies behind it but unable or unwilling to pass the clearly defined border around what was once the GXP PDS camp Grand Marshall Masaki had until recently held.

The hastily built walls of plasteel and scavenged barricades lay blasted across the intersection, the mechanized guards so generously donated to defend the city dismembered and sparking in the smothering darkness of the night. What remained of the cities once sparkling lights now flickered and smoldered dimly, casting sickly auras of amber over the bustling, unchanging faces of the clones. Even the heavens had be ruined, scant few flickering stars making their way through the clouds above, the nimbus cast by the moon itself muted as if in mourning for the city below.

In the center of the abandoned camp three figures stood amidst the wreckage, the smoke of the burning metropolis swirling around their feet. Eygon hovered an inch above the dust and soot-strewn asphalt, his body stiff as he once again flexed internally, the gemstone at his brow flaring blindingly in the engulfing darkness. The debris below him had several marks in it, handprints and footprints overlapping themselves, each telling the story of the lanky brother catching himself again and again on the scorched pavement.

He hung in the warm and smoky night air, arms outstretched as he strained, feeling the threads that held his quarry from his grasp hum and scream their torment, submitting to his overpowering will. Sweat stood out on his brow and the veins around the implanted stone on his brow throbbed with his effort, his teeth clenched as a trickle of scarlet, black in the shadows of the night, crept down from his tightly shut eyes.

With a stifled scream he fell once again to the asphalt, barely catching himself before his face made contact with the ground below him. His panting breath stirred the drifting dust as beads of sweat rolled down his jaw to drip trembling from his chin. A pained grin stretched across his lizard-like lips as he lifted his head, the burning light in his gem fading slowly. _"I'm close…"_ He said, his oily voice rasping with effort.

A grunt pulled itself from his throat as he rose to his feet, brushing his hands together to clear the ash from his palms, not caring or concerned with the crimson trails down each cheek. _"How fares our progress with the visual, brother?"_ He looked to Sego, the ruined body of Washu's video-feed robot strewn across the asphalt before the long-haired clone.

"Progress is slow, but it is coming along…" He called across from his place kneeling among the circuits and components of the disassembled robot. His metal fingers spun and blurred as he pulled wires and laced them into boards, little blue lights flaring from his fingertips as he soldered each into place, the flat screen hissing with static, sending a flickering light across the open intersection. A smile stretched his lips as he lifted a hand to push his long ebony hair from his eyes and returned to his work. "Another moment should do it, shall we wait and allow them to surrender? I do so want to see them beg…" His smile grew into an oily smile as he turned back to the circuit board, his eyes tracing the copper and silicon.

"_I suppose they should be sufficiently… shaken up."_ Eygon said quietly, eliciting a soft groan from his vainer brother. Idneous's massive brow beetled for a moment, then his eyes lit up and a bellowed laugh filled the silence of the destroyed encampment.

"**SHAKEN! That's a good one, innit?" **He chortled, idly kicking a slab of fallen concrete the size of a coupe, sending the ragged chunk skipping smartly across the pavement to plow into the seething wall of clones in a spray of exploding light. The brilliance filled the street for a moment before more clones flowed into the sudden gap, stifling the light as they boiled just outside of the unseen border.

Sego rolled his eyes with a breathy sigh, soldering another wire into place. The robots screen flickered for a moment, then solidified, lines of static rolling up its length. A satisfied smirk smeared itself across his face as Sego twisted a diode attached to the linked circuit boards. With a screech and a whine of static a fish-eye lens view of the buzzing central chamber of the lab flickered to life on the video screen.

The sound was tinny and distant, but the ruckus of babbling voices and worried cries of pain and fear that filled the chamber just past the veil of dimensions slowly died down as the occupants realized they were being watched and stared towards one point in the room. Grinning hugely, Sego stood and leaned over the display, his hair hanging down and his autonomous arms glistening in the soft light from the screen. The resulting cry of despair filled his heart with joy and sent his eyes twinkling happily. "Hello… I don't know if you've realized this yet or not, but I think it would be only proper that I should tell you. We are going to kill every last one of you." His smile spread wider, his teeth glinting as his lips pulled back madly. "And I'm afraid that there isn't a single thing you can do to stop us."


End file.
